Three Men and a Lady

I've been talking to Pop Pop these last few days about the role of faith in our lives...especially during a time like this. I think I've reached some conclusions. Faith is not the absence of reality, nor is it the denial of practical circumstances. Faith is not pretending that problems don't exist in an effort to cope with them. Faith is not a defense mechanism that we apply so that our hearts don't feel the hurt or weight of our situation. Faith is the belief that when reality speaks, we seek God for His sovereignty. We have been told that medically there are no options to fully remove Pop Pop's tumor. We accept reality, but we petition God for intervention, and we surrender to His omniscience.

When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemanee the night he was betrayed, he did not deny the reality that he was going to face grim circumstances. He acknowledge the reality that in a short time, he was going to suffer. Yet, he petitioned God for his intervention when he said, "Please take this cup from me." That's faith. But ultimately, faith results in surrender, "But nevertheless, may YOUR will be done not mine." Faith is reliance that like Isaiah says, "His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts."

So, we understand and accept the diagnosis, but we pray for intervention, and we surrender to the perfect will of God. That's faith.