“God’s peace exceeds what the human mind can comprehend." ~ Philippians 4:7
They were nearly home from church. Jana’s preschool son and
infant daughter sat securely in the back seat. The sun’s golden rays cast a
warm glow on the passing countryside. It was a perfect day to put the world on
pause - or so it seemed.
When she felt her iPhone vibrate, Jana instinctively
reached for it. In that split-second distraction, she failed to notice the car
ahead slowing down. Tires screeched, glass shattered, and airbags exploded when
her car struck theirs in a thunderous collision.
Miraculously, the children were frightened but unharmed.
As a cautionary measure, paramedics transported Jana to
the ER. They examined her for signs of internal bleeding, fractures, or
anything unusual. Numerous scans revealed a kidney stone… and something else.
Weeks later, an Ultrasound, MRI, and subsequent biopsy
confirmed Stage 2 breast cancer. The mass was close to her chest wall, masked
by bone structures and muscle tissue. It'd gone undetected for years despite
annual mammograms. The cell's advanced maturity required an aggressive treatment
regimen.
The car accident had been a metaphor for her connection
with God. “My faith had always been there, although barely enough to hold onto
at times. Literally the size of a mustard seed, it helped me stay focused on that
glimmer of hope as I recovered.”
“I'm grateful for the numerous ways God stretched and bolstered
my faith in the weeks, months, and years that followed,” she confided. “I
learned about trusting God and His sovereignty during that season, and found refuge
in the book of Job.”
Call it belief, trust, or faith, none of it comes
naturally, but as a gift of grace, made possible through Christ. It
transforms our fallen nature, enabling us to trust and depend on God. “His
comforting presence never left me. I leaned into Him during the accident, treatment,
and recovery.”
Faith is more than intellectual acceptance of God’s
existence. It’s far more than committing to a faith community, practicing a set
of religious habits, and developing biblical literacy. Faith is something that
shatters you, and then radically remakes you.
Faith requires a willingness to confess, without excuse or blame
shifting, sins you once denied or hid. Faith is abandoning your own wisdom and
fortifying your heart with God’s insight. It means giving up on your delusional
control and resting in God’s authority.
While almost all civilizations throughout history believed in
and worshiped some kind of God, faith is not a natural instinct. It must be fought
for, cultivated, honed, practiced, tested, and honored.
Father God, Jesus’ Disciples were told that
even if their faith was only the size of a mustard seed, they could crumble
mountains. Help us grow and increase our faith in You alone and make us
mountain-movers. Amen
