Going against the flow...

      Tonight Andrew and I find ourselves in the same discussion that we have had hundreds of times before. The conversation that seems to be plaguing our thoughts. One question running through our minds over, and over again. Is this what it feels like to be stepping out in faith? What are the things that are suppose to happen between the 1st leap of faith and the actual landing in the faithfulness of God? 

   Some things were brought to my attention tonight. Living a life of faith was never promised to be easy or make sense for that matter. When you step out in faith you feel as if you are the only one that has ever had to do this. Then I read the Old Testament, and see the men and women of God that lived a life similar to what Andrew and I are going through. The only difference is, I get to read the last chapters of there life... when God shows His love and faithfulness to them. Oh how I wish I could read the next chapter of my own life!! ( How great would that be?!!) How would we look at the lives of these Bible characters if we never read the last chapter of their lives? Would we be the ones in the crowd calling them crazy? Mocking them for their life of faith? Like so many of us mock one another when one steps out in faith.

    I'm reminded of a sermon I heard about Noah. He was told to build a massive boat in the middle of a dry spell. Could you imagine being Noah while building the boat. People constantly reminding him how crazy he was for stepping out in faith and building an unnecessary boat when rain hadn't been in the forecast in awhile! He dealt with the humiliation for years, probably thinking to himself ,"God, I hope this was you." or " I am crazy,... this is nonsense." Day after day building the boat, feeling like a crazy person. Yeah, that sounds so familiar.

     But luckily we can read the last chapter of Noah's story! Can you imagine what it must have felt like when the 1st drop of rain came falling down, hitting Noah's hand. What did he think then? " *gasp* you do exist." At that moment everything changed in Noah's life. He wasn't crazy, he was faithful. Funny how faithful and crazy go along side each other. So, I may be going through the process of the "faithful/crazy" stage, I know that a moment is coming soon, my "*Gasp* You do exist!" moment. 

      So often we look at point A to point B, and that is what we keep our focus on. But God cares more about the journey between the points then the actual destination. Yeah, building the boat isn't easy, but if you never built the boat, you never would have been able to get in the boat when the storm came.