Is Faith being in denial?

JoHanna's cross country season ended Saturday. Sunday was a blue sky sunshine day, so and Jeff went for a father/daughter trail run (no worries about me butting in ;) in the mountains. She came home with in injured ankle. After a visit to the sports clinic Monday night came home with a "boot," instructions to stay off of it for weeks, and a long face. With a chip in her ankle bone, the boot will give her the support she needs in her weakness.

People who don't believe in God often say that faith is a crutch. I don't agree; I think it's a boot.

Except for showering or sleeping, the boot will stay on all the time. I need for my faith to stay on all the time, INCLUDING the shower and the bed. Crises in life inflame our weakness, causing it to swell so we can't ignore it, making us so aware of our need for support, shouting out our need to strengthen the area under attack. I've been facing attack this week in the form of my re-occurring voice issue, "sprained" and swollen after an illness. My visit to my doctor wasn't encouraging yesterday, and I left with a heavy heart and lots of questions for the Lord. I need to wear the boot of faith.

Hebrews 11:1     "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (NLT)   My thoughts:  That's being sure of our hope in things like healing eternally, God's presence in the pain, the voice of our Mediator Jesus, provision of what we need, and God's strength. That's putting my certainty in things I cannot see, but believe in because of Who God is.

Some may wonder (I know this, because I've been in the "some" this week ...) if having faith is just being in denial. Yes, I think it is. Denial that we wrestle only against flesh and blood (even our own), denial that Satan is destined to have victory over us, denial that God is somehow tired of really caring about our hurts, denial that maybe our future is the one without good intentions, and denial that He won't answer or act at all. In that case, I want to be in denial, and I want you to be too!

Faith is denying the power of darkness and believing in the power of God. 

Ephesians 2:8
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

God has already worked in my life through faith, though it may've started out feeling small. I am "O you of little faith," and it shows when I chip an ankle in life. He wants my faith to grow, and that means allowing me to experience events that put me in a boot. 

Luke 12:27-29    "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried."

... nor be worried. 

So for today, I am resting my voice and praying in denial and in faith that the Lord will give me a window of vocal strength at the right times to share with the MOPS of CBB and then with the ladies of FBLC, with sweet times of listening to my family and using my few words wisely with my family in between. I would love for you to pray with me, because when you're "in the boot" it's awkward to "get around," and you appreciate the help. 


Are you in a boot of faith right now? In denial? I hope so. I would love to pray for you, too. Feel free to send me an email or leave a comment. Praying for OTHERS is so good when you're aware of your pain. Let me leave "us" with one of my favorite promises for those of us in the boot: 

Philippians 4:6-8
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."