So this weeks reading has to do with (partially at least) having the faith to move mountains. If you only had enought faith, even the size of a mustard seed, you'de be able to move this mountain.
Yet the religions that practice putting their faith to these tests, (snakes, etc.) we tned to discredit at best, and insult at worst. We do not trust religions or sects that seem to have such a radical notion of "faith". It seems to discount the intellect.
But let me ask this... have you ever been in a situation where you "believed" that some event would occur, or that something would happen... and it did?
There is a Torah commentary where the Israelites have just left Egypt, and they are running for their lives from their Egyptian homes. They believe... boy do they believe... "God, you're sure saving us now!" Then they hit the Red Sea. And the whole thing comes to a screeching halt!
The waters haven't yet parted. In fact they haven't moved at all. Now what? They begin to break up into factions; one group wants to stay and fight the Egyptian Army... at least they will die free! Another group wishes to negotiate... sorry about the "escaping" thing, let's just see if we can come to some understanding, and we'll go back. Another group wants to swim for it... hey, considering he options, at least it's a chance!
Well, while they are debating, as the story goes... one person actually jumps in... and THAT'S when the waters part! One person had to BELIEVE first. One person had to have enough faith that God was going to led them, as God had promised! They didn't believe because the miracle happend... The miracle happened because they believed!
I think of the story around the adoption of our daughter. On our (my wife and I) first trip to Africa, the whole trip was a very powerful experience of God all around. And I knew that from the very begining! Then about four days from our departure, we go to this village. The paster we'd met there wanted to show us a village and the ministry they had been doing there. Well, among all the things he'd done there, he started an orphanage. Long story short- one of the little girls there was to be our daughter! The only thing I can say is... I "knew" God wanted us to adopt this beautiful little girl! I had faith this would occur.
So we started the process here in the US, as an independent adoption. And six or seven month later we were in Africa to go to court to finalize the adoption. This visit was as frustrating and nerve-racking and mind jarring as the first trip was holy. As I write this, the level of frustration we experienced there, I have trouble putting into words. It was stressful beyond anything I'd experienced before. There seemed to be one unforeseen obstacle after another. Our lawyers (local) had assured us of x, y, and z. But x, y, and z wasn't done. We hadlegal, governmental, and administrative obstacles.
Yet in three weeks I was returning home with our new daughter. She's now our "first-born", and of course legally entitled to inherit our vast fortune. Too bad for her brother.
But I must say, in the midst of it all... I had nothing left but to believe that God was calling this into existence. It seemed that every day I was falling back into my faith that this was God ordained.
People who are familiar with this countries administrative policies and system had told us this was a small miracle. What took us three weeks, would under normal circumstances have taken anywhere from six months to one year at least. And yet here we are.
There is more to the story... my belief that my daughter is going to be a part of something big in her life ("big" of course is subjective - What I mean is, I have faith, based on this experience that my daughter will be a part of something important in her life, something that will affect one person, or many people, but that she make a difference!)
Anyway... here's my contribution to the "faith of a mustard seed " story.
Thoughts anyone?
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