About Faith...

What's your definition of faith? 

Here's mine:  When you hope and pray, over and over for specific things and they don't happen;  but you STILL BELIEVE!

Craig has been very unhappy with his job since we moved to Utah two years ago.  We have fasted and prayed, and sent out resumes, searched the internet for jobs and hired expensive head hunters and still nothing. Even though he didn't like his job, every night we made sure to thank the Lord that we had a job that payed him, so we could afford to keep our insurance.

On June 15th our air conditioner broke on our home we own in Las Vegas.  I firmly believe that the Lord caused a miracle to happen and the air started working.  I also believe that it was the Lord giving us a progress report, telling we that he knew us and our situation, but that he couldn't bless us with a job just yet.

Then on June 29th Craig was layed off along with 125 other workers!  That wasn't what I thought would come next, but life is full of surprises.  Craig is continually looking for work, but with little success.  Thank goodness that our health insurance is a private insurance that we have on our own!  We have a little savings right now and are grateful for that so we can continue to pay our monthly insurance premiums.

Yesterday, we got a call from our renters in Las Vegas telling us that the air conditioner stopped working!  It was 113 degrees in Vegas when they called (poor renters).  Ugh!  Our unit is 30 years old, and they told us last time if it broke again, there was no way to repair it.  We are now looking at a bill of over $7,500 to replace the unit.

So I guess when it rains, it pours.  And so back to my definition of faith.  "When you hope and pray, over and over for specific things and they don't happen; but you STILL BELIEVE!"

We still believe that the Lord knows us and is aware of our situation.  At this point (which we have been several times before) it is so easy to rely on the "arm of flesh" and try and force things to happen.  I know from personal experience that this doesn't work, and actually causes the opposite effect, which can lead to a spiraling downward motion into depression. 

So what IS the answer for us?  Relying on the "arm of God" and trusting in HIS TIMETABLE and continuing to have faith, pray, read the scriptures, attend the temple, and listen and obey what the Holy Ghost promps us to do!

I love Moroni's admonition on faith in Ether 12:6.

"And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world
that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

Well, I guess this is just another chapter in the "trial of your faith" book in our lives.  Thank goodness in the scriptures that it says, "And it came to PASS", not to STAY!  I just need to remember that this too shall pass.  Thanks for sitting in on this little chat with myself :-)