It is hard to believe
And, therefore,
Receive
A love so great
That it covers every failing,
Perfects all things.
Making the desires of the heart
Complete.

Faith is given,
Not attained.
Yet life must grind us
Before faith can find us
Small enough to embrace it.

It starts as a paltry gift,
It appears as magic
in our child mind.
Like a baby at birth
It is weak, yet precious,
Full of possibility.

In struggle and pain
Faith begins to gain
A foothold in the
Human spirit
A wish, a prayer, a yearning.
So you hold on. You wait.

The gift of our belief
Is wrapped in unbelief
Tested by doubt.
Until it faces life’s fury
It cannot stand in the light.

This is faith’s path:
To grow through
Santa, the easter bunny,
A sermon’s promise,
Prayers for a dying
gold fish.

Then, after much
Failing, flailing
Wishing, wailing and
Tears,
Tearing our heart.

And Silence from above.

In disappointment of wishes,
Darkness of soul,
Through the rising of wisdom
We grope on.

In painful moments
Fear asks
“Will I make it?”
Faith answers
“You can take it.”
Moving ahead our
Believing grows.

What
Must happen,
What must we face?
And take?
Our faith to make?

The sheer terror of
Desperately needing
A miracle,
A Shattered will,
A giving up and giving in,
Hope against hope.

When darkness is fullest
The latter miracles

can begin.
When we are humbled,
Able to experience awe,
We sense we did nothing at all
To make our miracles happen.

Over time we find
A Peace that passes
Understanding
It Is so outstanding
To believe with
The eyes of faith
In a world where
Seeing is believing.

Careful for nothing,
Casting out fear,
Loving Him who can
Bring strength near
This is believing’s glory.

This is living in the clear.