Keeping up the faith

I just came from Church and we were shown a beautiful cartoon regarding the cockroaches that were the lucky one who went into the ark with Noah. It was cool tha the creators of the cartoon had a different approach at presenting the Noah story. As I lead the praise and worship, I suddenly realized how much faith Noah had in just following God.

I do not know if many people know this but before the flood the people did not know rain. It is also written in the Bible that before the flood, God watered the earth from the ground. I do not know how it was possible but that is how it is. This adds more credit to Noah because certainly when God told him of a concept called "rain" it wasn't like he knew what it was, God just told him that there will be rain. Of course, that fact plus constructing a huge ark in a place where water was miles and miles away.

But then again, I do not wish to dwell in the Noah story. I think most of us have heard of the story and to some it has become boring. My realization came as I contemplate on the things htat have happened to my life and wonder how much faith I have in me and what I am still willing to do to continue on believing. One of the things that frustrate us are the things that we do not understand. Sometimes, we are faced with circumstances that seem to be unfair. I particularly felt that when my mother died about 6 years ago. I just felt I do not deserve losing a mother. All that plus, being discharged from PMA, having trouble with my father, not knowing what to do with my life and the so many things that happened to me. Even as I think about all those events now, I do not know where I got all the faith so that I can just go on with my life. I remember the times when I look at the sky and wonder what will happen to me and sometimes be teary eyed as fear starts to get to me because of the uncertainty. But looking back at it now, I remember always finding reasons to go on, always learning lessons and just going in even if I did not really like what was happening. I am not so sure if faith can be learned but I do know that faith is just doing it despite of everything. When people ask me now, I always tell them that God is never unfair and that we will always get what we deserve, we may not know it at the moment of testing but it will. I know that now not because of some concept I got from someone but out of the lessons I learned in my life based on what I have been through. I guess I will never be able to explain how these things are for me. It is something that I know from my heart after a period of testing and hopelessness.

The lesson that I learned now is this, we are being called to just have faith at a point where we do not have a choice so that we will be able to know the true nature of God. From there we can gain assurance so that in the future we will still have faith even if we already have a choice not to. I think the biggest test of faith is when there is another way out and its a question of having faith or being in control. It will be easy to cling to God when the world seems to be on our shoulders, but it is hardest when it there is another choice. Maybe that could be something to think about.