As I began reading my daily devotionals, I read this quote…
To trust God in the light is nothing. But to trust Him in the dark, that is faith.
— Charles Spurgeon
I can remember my dad saying it’ll work out. Even though money was tight or it didn’t seem to make sense to feel that way, he did. I never really thought about it a lot or questioned him about it.
Daddy didn’t show a lot of emotion, except when he was mad, or he was cheering on his favorite sports team. He didn’t talk about his faith much, but I knew that he believed in God. I knew because of the manner in which he lived. We went to church on a fairly regular basis, but it was the little things that modeled his faith.
He wasn’t a drinker, nor did he cuss or run around with his buddies. He was a family man. He got off work at 4:30 and was home by 5:00. His leisure time was spent coaching baseball teams, attending basketball and football games, volunteering to help with 4-H, and tending to the animals on our small farm.
He wasn’t one to lavish praise on me or my siblings, at least not in front of us. But I was told by a coworker that he bragged about his kids all the time and was really proud of us. It felt weird to hear it put into words, but we all knew it.
Okay, I’m getting to my point now. When he got real sick, we had that conversation about his faith. It’d been several years since he’d been to church, but he believed in God and knew that he needed to reconnect. My sister-in-law had her pastor come and talk to him. And when Daddy came home from the hospital 2 1/2 months later and was well enough, he began attending church again.
You see, it’s easy to believe in God when everything is sunshine and roses. Can you still believe when the dark times come? Our faith can grow when we spend time with the Lord and that can help us get through the toughest times. Daddy lost his battle in 2001, but really it was his greatest victory! That’s what our final reward is, a place in heaven. Jesus went to prepare it for us. What we have here on earth is of little consequence. But eternity in heaven sure beats spending eternity in the darkest place!
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 