Finding Faith and a Message of Hope in the Unexpected | The BridgeMaker

Finding Faith and a Message of Hope in the Unexpected

By on Jan 18, 2010


finding-faith

The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too. – Teresa of Avila

This past week an important message was delivered – be grateful for the moment we have because there is no guarantee it will be repeated. This message is not rooted in pessimism, but rather in the awareness to appreciate what we have, right now, because it can easily, and quickly, be taken away.

The earthquake in Haiti happened without warning and without mercy. The ground shook as the worst disaster of the century descended on an entire country. The powerful earthquake was unexpected and it didn’t care if buildings toppled or if people were trapped underneath. On a regular Tuesday evening, thousands of people lost their lives in just a few, brief moments.

However, my faith reminds me that God creates miracles from disasters. Some suggest that God could have prevented this crisis in the first place, thus avoiding the need for any miracle. But it’s not that simple. Some suggest the people in Haiti must have deserved the disaster because they were not faithful enough. Not true and, again, it’s not that simple.

Disasters happen not because God causes them to happen or because we have lost our faith; bad things happen because God allows them to happen. He knows there is a greater good by allowing these types of things to happen. This realty can be too much to stomach as we watch these people suffer.

When bad things happen our faith is tested and our hope is stretched. During difficult times it is important to remember our faith doesn’t give us an insurance policy against the unexpected. Instead our faith gives us an assurance policy that no matter what happens, He will never abandon us.

Perhaps the greater good in the earthquake was to remind us to appreciate each moment as if it were our last. Impatience, bitterness and selfishness seem to be on the rise lately. Sometimes as humans we need a wake-up call to grab our attention. We also need to trust His message, the earthquake in this instance, was delivered from a place of love – love for us and love for the souls who were lost.

The earthquake may have been indifferent to the damage it created, but God is not. My faith tells me He has a plan for every person impacted by this disaster and not to fear receiving this message. My faith tells me God has forsaken no one.

I see it. I feel it. I get it. The message is loud and clear and is speaking directly to my heart.

This moment, the one happening right now, is the best thing I have. I’m learning to appreciate these moments with greater energy and with a keener sense of their importance. The fact this moment is here is the best reminder I have to remember that I am alive.

Lending a hand

The people in Haiti have a long way to go before their lives return to normal. Water, food, and medicine are some of the things they need right now. If you feel called to serve and lend a hand of support, consider these resources:

The BridgeMaker Founder Alex Blackwell is the author of Letting Go: 25 True Stories of Peace, Hope and Surrender. Join the community to connect, share and inspire: Twitter | Facebook | More Posts

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  • Timothy Paul

    God gave man dominion over the entire planet earth and all that is in it (Gen 1:16). That included the creative power of spoken word which God had used to create the entire universe. Man capitulated this authority to satan in the garden and satan is now the god of this world (2Cor 4:4). God is faithful to His word and did not take back what He gave to man when man messed it up. Once Christ died once for all men, the game changed forever. God does not allow bad things to happen, but when bad things do happen He can take what satan meant for evil and turn it to good. This is not a contradiction of the above document, but a clarification. It is easily demonstrated that everything recorded in the Old Testament (Covenant) was an act of love by the Father to the purpose of sending His Son to be sacrificed on our behalf.

    I serve in a mission in the Dominican Republic that serves Haiti and I have friends there in Haiti.

  • @ Charlotte: Yes, sometime we need to let go and just be in this moment. Thanks for sharing.

  • I had several long talks with a wise friend last week about the concept of appreciating the present moment. She knew I was trying to hang onto an experience and told me that the present is all we really have. We think we have more–but this, this moment is all it, actually. Her words helped me so much and now I find your wonderful post, which has simply added to it. Thank you.

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