Tues., Sept. 26, 2017

Hebrews 11:1 – Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see.

My husband never ceases to amaze me. We’ve been living in our fixer-upper home for a little over two years. In that time, we’ve made significant changes to the house. On the docket for this summer: painting the outside trim. The trim was a royal blue color. While it’s a nice color, it wasn’t my preference. It didn’t quite match the singles nor the indoor/outdoor floor covering on the porches. The first fall we lived in the house, we painted the foundation more of a grey/blue which we highly preferred. It was now time to paint the rest of the trim a granite steel color.

This summer, Rick has been consistently painting the trim. He started painting the 53 windows of the house. Yep. 53. At the end of last week, he had about a dozen windows or so yet to do. Also yet to do: the four third-story peaks. We talked of renting a lift with a bucket to reach these precarious areas. Rick thought the lift would leave ruts in the yard. It’s taken two years to get the yard looking the way he wants it to look. He wasn’t ready to start over.

Instead, Rick came up with his own solution. He painted several windows from inside the house. Maybe more appropriately – hanging out from the inside of the house. Painting the peaks? This required more creativity.

Last Saturday morning was the day he was going to paint the peaks. Never mind this was also the warmest weekend of the summer/fall. He bounded out of bed bright and early and went to pick up an extension ladder he borrowed from friends. Pretty soon, there was a series of ropes and come-and-go belts snaked through my office and out the window. Anchored to a staircase banister, they were attached to the extension ladder perched on the flat roof outside of the window and hooked to a rope Rick tied around his waist. These non-OSHA approved safety devices were, at best, red-neck. My first thought: “You can take the boy off the farm but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.”

Rick assured me he didn’t really need these safety measures. He wouldn’t fall off the ladder nor would the ladder slip. They were simply “just in case” measures. He had faith he could paint the peaks with no hiccups.

Faith. What do we have faith in? Where is faith found? Who is the source of our faith? I’ve known for a long time Rick has a deep-seeded faith. His faith isn’t in the ropes and such. Rick’s true faith is knowing someone bigger is watching over him.

Several years ago, we sang a song at VBS called “Faith.” It has become one of those songs I often sing in my head:

It seems like there so much to hope for, so many dreams I wish they all could come true.

When I think about Your ways, Lord, it gives me so much faith in all that you do.

Faith to see beyond what I can’t see.

Faith to know that You will do great things.

I will trust You Lord, I’ll always believe.

As I hold on to my faith, Jesus you are holding on to me.

Rick literally believed Jesus would hold onto him as he painted those precarious peaks of the house.

What do you hang onto when the going gets tough? Do you depend upon a series of earthly things that can fail you? Or, do you hang onto the One, True God?

Faith is often difficult because we can’t see it. We can’t touch it. We can’t physically describe it.

Yet, I cannot deny faith. Faith is the unseen things I feel in my heart. It’s the unseen comfort I have felt when God is with me. It’s the unseen presence of God that brings me peace.

Rick completed the painting without a hitch. Fortunately, he didn’t need the safety devices. They were “just in case.” The newly-painted trim looks GREAT! We’re both thankful this project is officially completed. I’m thankful for a husband who hatches with creative ideas. I’m also thankful for a husband whose faith is such that he knows daily who watches over him.

Lord God – Faith is hard to describe because it’s not something we see. It’s something we feel, we trust, we experience. Thanks for hanging unto us when we slip. Thanks for being our safety net and rope. May our faith in you be what keeps us safe in you. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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