Posted by Dena on August 18, 2003, at 19:29:47
In reply to Re: what happens when faith dies?, posted by rayww on August 18, 2003, at 16:25:13
Dear Habbyshabbit -
We haven't yet been "properly introduced" - you came on board during one of my many exiles - though I've read your posts, as well as all others, "from a distance".
Hi - I'm Dena. I'm a wife, a mother of 8 (one of whom is in heaven), an artist, a follower of Jesus, & an opinionated, out-spoken woman who manages to get one, if not two, feet in her mouth on an almost-daily basis (it's hard to walk around that way).
I'm so sorry that you're feeling the loss of your faith. I know we all experience the ebb & flow of feeling connected. It doesn't make it easier for you, while you're going through it, but it is normal. It's especially hard if you've once had the experience of feeling connected, only to lose it.
I've felt that disconnect, too. I've called it many things: being stuck in the desert, the "dark night of the soul", in the pit of darkness, tuned in to the wrong frequency (static!).
I know it doesn't help to know so many different faith "stories". Those are all on the level of comprehension. Faith is on a different frequency.
Perhaps you're on a journey, only you don't see the next step of the path. Have you ever been somewhere that used motion-sensor lights at night? I found myself in pitch darkness one night, on the side of a building that I had to get around, to find the entrance. There was a path of stepping stones, but there was also a sharp drop-off, a steep ravine, just past the stepping stones. For a while, I just stood there, not wanting to take the chance of stepping, for fear that I would step off into nothingness. Finally, I stuck one foot out into the darkness, groping for a firm place to step. As I took that step, FLASH! A motion-sensor light came on, lighting my path. I could take two or at the most three steps in that light. Then I had to step out into the darkness again so that the next light would come on.
First came the step of faith, then came the trust.
Maybe on your journey, you just need to know what or who you can trust.
Forget the stories. Some may be true, some may be false, or a combination of the two.
Someone put this world together. Someone established life. Call out to that Someone. Ask for faith to believe whatever is. Ask for the gift of trust in Whoever is trustworthy.
Your path will be lightened, but you may have to step out into the darkness.
Shalom, Dena
poster:Dena
thread:251864
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20030530/msgs/251959.html