Keep the Faith

The year fades away in the twinkling of any eye. It will be hardly noticed by some, regreted by others, and thankful to a few. I am one of the later who sits before her computer grateful to God for all the gifts of Himself He has given me.
One of the big things I am truly appreciative of this New Years Eve is God's awakening in me the urge not to give up nor to lose my faith despite what I see financially. Perhaps this is a good message for anyone out there struggling tonight with being "in the red". I learned this year that I had to stop focusing on what I feared. I had to ask myself "Did I have faith or would I continue in fear?" The fear was only taking me on a downward spiral. I was moving away from what I believed. "Who was this God I trusted in?," I asked myself.
Or perhaps it was God himself asking me.
I can only see it as a graced experience which led me up from my groveling fears to a heart wisdom that answered: God promises He will never stop doing good for you so why are you believing this lie? This lie filled me with this fear and said, I had to sell the house and run. The truth was God loved me and would provide for me no matter what.
Keeping the faith began with this truth then swelled to include not giving up on friends and family. You see, dear reader, I had got downhearted in my relationships because of distance, time, and troubles. I let go of what I held truly dear because I felt disinhearted. Some people were not living up to my expectations. But then God showed me I hadn't been living up to theirs or God's either! Yet God hadn't given up on me. How could I give up on anyone? Who am I? Am I better than God? No answer is necessary here!
Somehow not having money also encouraged me to let go of people I loved. I couldn't give as I once had. You see, growing up, I learned that love was given in the form of gifts. Despite working at a food bank and trying to help others when I could when it came down to it that old family value was still there. I still felt I could only love if I had money to share!
Once again, God has shown me love has really very little to do with money and a whole lot to do with forgiveness, simply giving through phone calls, letters and yes, even emails.
So I am really grateful that God has given me a new heart of hope. You see hope lights the way, doesn't it? If we don't have that then we perish for lack of vision. My hope is in the Lord, that is one thing I had to re-learn. Secondly, Faith means believing despite what I see. Odd, that I speak of a vision in one verse and faith being beyond what I see in the next sentence! Yet they go hand in hand. For you see, my friends, the more you trust God, despite what you see, allows God the grace to take you to a new level of believing that is actually based on what you do see. For me, over the years, my belief system has been continually filled with rich truisms from God's word. Truisms that are truth, really, that He will never leave me nor forsake me, that He will supply all my needs in a way worthy of His magnificent riches and on and on. They fill my heart with His bounty. They have over the years. I have experienced His gifts that have testified to his faithfulness. I forgot this and somehow I got caught up in the fear that became so pervasive around me in the media, in the stores, and everywhere you looked.
I recognize now I erred. I told our heavenly Father so. It was a blessed time of repentance, albeit, filled with sorrow at how I had let my good God down and let so many family and friends, as well.
I close this text and this year with my hope for everyone in 2010. I hope and pray with God's grace we all look up and trust Him when all around may fail. For my God is a good God and His love endures forever! Happy New Year everyone! Keep the Faith!