"In Good Faith" - to me, this title invokes trust. When a person accepts something in good faith, they are trusting the source implicitly. As a child, I grew up in a family where I was taught that I needed to speak the truth and live honorably. But, it's more than just having good moral standards and ethics. My family was a very faith-filled family, and quite traditional. I learned that I could talk to God about anything, trust that His answers to prayer (even if the answers were not the ones I would have liked), and that God wanted me to love others as He loves me.
My mom was a tremendous influence on me. Her faith was nothing pretentious - just a simple love of Jesus and taking that love to the next step of loving others. She gravitated to those considered the "underdogs," having a knack of discovering their strengths, and building their self worth. Some of her basic guidelines for living have stayed with me. Her lifestyle was the original "Pay it Forward." She did things for others and would never accept money or other material payments in return, but instead advised them to do something for someone else - the best payment that could be given to her. I learned to consider the needs of others before my own needs, and to treat others as I would like to be treated (the Golden Rule).
Jesus served the needs of all kinds of people, including those with sordid histories, unethical lifestyles or illnesses that made them outcasts. This has helped me to see that I need to look around with the kind of eye that my mom had. By taking the time to listen to people, hear their stories, and try to meet their needs by moving out beyond myself - seeing a homeless person smile when I give them a "Kit of Caring" (a ziplock bag with food items inside). Or walking alongside someone with a drug addiction, seeing them rise above it and stay clean; witnessing adults from a homeless shelter baptized; helping a couple of homeless ladies lift themselves from devastation to become independent of Public Assistance. Or walking with families who struggle financially, helping them to find resources to meet their needs; holding the hand of someone who just heard some bad news; or a host of other scenarios too numerous to mention here. These make me want to probe further to find creative ways to be the feet of Jesus in my world.
My faith has been challenged many times with tragedies, disappointments, limitations, and a variety of "losses." However, I have come to realize that God remains faithful to me, walking alongside me, throughout. Knowing Jesus loves all people equally and unconditionally has helped my faith grow. By sharing my gifts with others, joy comes back to me. The more I give, the greater my blessings. I hope my arms can continue to reach out to help those in our community in the ways that will best meet needs.
