“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Martin Luther
Faith is a word that gets thrown around a lot, especially at this time of year. By definition, faith is “belief without empirical knowledge.” That means placing confidence in something without tangible evidence. Faith is significantly different from the more recent concepts of “sharing my truth,” “fake facts,” and “gaslighting.” Faith is deeply personal and rooted in the very foundation of a person’s being. Consider the following story:
One day, a person was lost in a hot and dry desert. This person was in desperate need of water and feared death by dehydration. Eventually, they saw a small hut at a distance. The structure appeared abandoned. There was a hand water pump with all connections intact and a pipeline to the ground. The person started pumping, but there was no sign of water. Dejected, they started searching the hut for sustenance and found a bottle of water hidden in the corner. The person was desperate to drink the water, but saw a piece of paper attached to the bottle which read, “Use this water to start the pump. When you are done, please do not forget to refill the bottle for the next person who needs it.”
Questions raced through their panicked mind: “Will the pump work if I use this water to try and start it instead of drinking it? Can I trust the author of this note?” The person closed their eyes, began taking slow, deep breaths, and cleared their mind completely. Upon opening their eyes, they poured the water from the bottle into the hand pump. Soon, a bubbling sound began and water started pouring out. There was a moment of relief on his face. He drank the water and filled his bottle. After quenching their thirst, the person refilled the bottle and added a line to the note which said, “Have faith. It works.” Happily, the person departed from the hut. (https://winnersstory.com/short-stories-on-faith-1/)
It took “big faith” to not immediately drink the bottle of water. That would have been the easier decision. Why did the person take the leap of faith? We can’t know for sure. Perhaps their faith was inspired by the notion of helping others in need who found themselves at the hut. Or it could have been something about the way the note was written. Maybe it was a feeling or intuition they couldn’t explain even if they tried. Regardless, they took a leap of faith and were rewarded with sustenance and the knowledge that others may yet also benefit from their act.
While challenges that you are facing right now may not be life or death, they bear meaning and have impact on who you are and what you may become. If you haven’t found answers through research or talking to trusted advisors or other empirical means, perhaps it’s time to let go and take your own leap of faith…especially if there’s a chance that could help others in the process.
