Life Is Easier When You Have Faith
There have been times in my life when circumstances have brought deep sadness and despair. For me, choosing to have faith has been the easier, softer way. I believe life is easier when you choose to have faith.
I have a friend who has stage-four ovarian cancer. She has gone through four years of chemotherapy, only to be told nothing is working. The other day we were talking about faith, and I said in my naïve way, “You just have to have faith.” She positioned her face so she could look into my eyes and asked me, “But what if I have faith that God is going to heal me and He doesn’t? What then? I have had faith all this time that He would heal me and He hasn’t. What now?” I did not have an answer. This conversation has forced me to examine my beliefs about faith.
When I went through the sudden death of my mother, my world turned upside down. That was my first experience with death. I believed the sadness from missing my mom was going to kill me. I had to form a belief that she was not in a box in the ground, but in a better place. I believe I will see her again one day. My mantra: “My mom is alive somewhere and this sadness will not kill me.”
Before my father died, he went through a year-long illness, and the end result was pitiful and sad. He finally passed away. Once again I had to practice faith. I formed a strong belief that he is not in pain any longer. I chose to believe that he has a life somewhere else and that one day I will go there to live. I miss him so much. Without a mental picture of a healthy dad, I would have fallen into a deep depression; I may have not survived.
When my sister flipped her SUV and was in a coma for six weeks, no one knew whether she would live or die. The day someone told me she would never speak again, I cried for hours. Once again I found myself needing to believe God was taking care of us and my sister would be okay. Today my sister is in a wheelchair. She can talk. She tells me she loves me every time I speak to her. That is something new.
I use my faith as a survival mechanism. I have to believe there is some supreme being up there watching over me and my loved ones. I believe He has a plan. I believe I will see my mom and dad again. I believe my sister can still have a decent life. I have to have faith my friend will find peace sooner than later. If God chooses not to heal her soon, then he will have to deal with her face to face.