Gotta have Faith!
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)
The firm foundation to being a follower of Jesus Christ is faith. It is trusting and believing in God even when we can't see the end result. That is a hard lesson to learn and can be so difficult to live out for anyone no matter where in the world you happen to live.
There is a lady in Uganda that is very dear to me and her name is Faith. Last summer when I met Faith for the first time, she was so concerned with me being in Uganda by myself with no mother or family to make sure I stayed safe. You see, Faith is 65 and old enough to be my mother and has raised a handful of kids herself. I said it's okay - you can be my mother. From then she was known as Mama Kirabo (the Ugandan name they gave me). She is my Ugandan mother. I love this woman. She has taught me so much about Faith.
She is very well respected in her church and has been asked to counsel some of the young women in the church. She received her own Bible last summer and she cried and praised God for the gift she had been given. She also opened up her first ever bank account. Your first bank account might have been opened under your name by your parents or with your first job as a teenager. Faith got her first bank account at the age of 65. Having a bank account in Uganda is a really big deal. It means you have a little to save and aren't just surviving. With what little money Faith is able to save she uses for her grandchildren and great grand baby.
Last year, when we asked her what has changed the most in her life in the last year. Faith said, "I give an offering at church every Sunday!" Being able to give back to the body of Christ has been a huge change in her life. She is so happy to have her first ever full time job at a time many people in the USA would be thinking about retirement.
Faith's prayers are transforming people in the hospital that our ladies visit every Tuesday. When I was there in January after we got through praying with everyone in the ward- Faith was so moved by the spirit that she stopped us in the lobby to pray again. We joined hands in the middle of the lobby with all eyes on us and prayed for healing, for restoration of the body and soul. After we were done, people applauded. That is what Faith is always teaching me. Believe God will heal no matter the circumstances. Believe God has a job for you even if you wait 65 years. Believe God has a way to provide always.
I don't think it is an accident that her name is Faith, do you?
