The Last Faith Post Has Arrived

Remember when I said I had one more author to post about faith? Well, she has come through. Meet Maria Stahl, an amazing hard working woman full of faith. She travels all over the country every week and still makes it home to work in the temple and to attend church on Sunday. She grew up in Montana, but has lived in Utah, NYC, and Washington D.C.

“Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day.” A while back Diane asked me to write something on faith, and every time I thought about this, this line from a children’s song would came to mind. The Bible dictionary states that “To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone” I like that word “confidence”. Webster Dictionary states that confidence is a firm belief; trust; reliance; the fact of being or feeling certain; assurance.

When we think about the word Faith in a religious context how do we have confidence in the things that may not be seen? As a child, how do we know that sun will rise? We don’t. It just happens. We don’t learn until many years later that the earth rotates on an axis every day. And then we learn that besides rotating on an axis it also rotates around round the Sun. If we are just learning, to have faith, sometimes we have to just accept that certain things will happen, not knowing why. As we actively learn more about our Savior Jesus Christ, we gradually learn to understand more about those things that are not seen and can truly have confidence that it will happen. I cannot see the earth rotate around the sun. I can see the effects of it though, every day. I was not there to see the atoning sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave for me and all of us, but I have learned to see the effects of it in my life and in those around me. I have confidence in that because I have learned to recognize it, just as I have learned to recognize when the sun will rise.

The opposite of confidence is diffidence or shyness. One who is shy is easily frightened or startled, not at ease with people, or shows distrust or caution; is wary. This definition reminds me of horses. When I was a kid, I grew up on a farm in Montana. We had some horses. Young horses would “shy” away from items that may come up to them on the side where their peripheral vision is not good. They will jump first before directly looking at whatever was on their side to decide whether it will hurt them or not, even if it was a plastic bag blowing in the wind. The difference in riding a shy horse verses a confident horse is great. As a rider on a shy horse you always have to have a firm hold of the reins, and be prepared for a bumpy ride, verses the trained, confident horse that has learned to look and be aware before deciding what to do. That ride is usually smoother and much more enjoyable.

As I think it is with life. Those who learn to have faith in Jesus Christ are able to ride through life a little smoother. That doesn’t mean that there may be things that will make them sad, hurt them , or make them want to run away. But with faith they can learned to have confidence to take the time to stop and look at it directly to understand it more fully.

Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day. Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray. Faith is like a little seed: if planted it will grow. Faith is a swelling within my heart. When I do right, I know. 

Faith is know I lived with God before my mortal birth. Faith is knowing I can return when my life ends on earth. Faith is trust in God above; in Christ, who showed the way. Faith is strengthened; I feel it grow whenever I obey. I hope that this year , we can all strive to strengthen our Faith.