“Be faithful for those who are faithless.” – Braden

“I’m still learning. Lord, keep teaching.” – Braden’s dad

---

On a bench in the middle of a small country church, sat a father who just lost everything. At least to him, it felt so. A wave of tragedy had struck with such enormity that his home had been obliterated, leaving only the struggling survivors. The words spoken by the minister that Sunday morning were garbled and yet the man struggled to listen. The message seemed distantly hopeful, but far beyond reach. He was completely alone with only the breath still left in his lungs. Then the minister said something that man will never forget. “I want you all to meet a man who is sitting here with us today. I’m not sure how he dragged himself here because he probably should have stayed home. This man is feeling completely lost and without any sign of hope. I want those of you around him to place your hands on him and to pray over him”.

I’ve taken medicine to make things feel better. I’ve tried counseling and countless other means of help. Nothing has ever felt more healing than the hands of those people around my shoulders that day. After their prayer, I looked up to discover the entire congregation gathered with their hands placed on one another’s shoulders, like a network of hearts connecting to mine. Their energy filled a depleted battery and to this day I draw upon that experience as a resource for hope offered nowhere else. Before that November morning in 2018, I’d never been prayed over in public. I had heard of it and even seen a few such occasions, but felt embarrassed for the person. Like begging for help on a public street corner. They must be pitiful. How could someone fall so far that they would need complete strangers to pray over them.

Recently, our church unexpectedly lost its pastor. The church he founded 25 years earlier was thriving and growing. He and his family remain solidly part of this church and in our hearts, but we are hurting. In one moment, a vibrant church was struck by tragedy without any warning. The feelings seem too familiar. Today’s message was titled, “The Lord is Faithful”. How God is always there even when we can’t see Him. As I thought about those words, they seemed overused. I’d heard the phrase all my life. Still, as I read them today on the digital display, they kept ringing in my ears… “the Lord is faithful.” Faithful. Faithful? I’m not sure I believe this. Doesn’t that mean God eventually comes through with our requests every time? He certainly hasn’t done that for us.

We had left our daughter at home alone because she was unable to join us at this very church service. This has now become a common occurrence as she battles a chronic health condition, still without answers. This storm remains with us while the looming cloud approaches of yet another anniversary of her brother’s death. It’s certainly not for a lack of prayers or the awareness that the Bible says God is faithful. Still, it begs the question. Is He, really?

Maybe it means He’s faithful to someone else. He certainly hasn’t been showing signs to us nor many of the other families who we’ve come to know. They’re still are dealing with storms beyond anything most of us could fathom. Still, those words kept ringing in my ears. He is FAITHFUL.

At the end of the sermon, the preacher said he wanted to do something unusual. He asked for anyone in the congregation who was facing a storm to simply stand. I found myself thinking, “How awkward for someone. How embarrassing.” Yes, the criteria applied to the guy sitting in my chair, but no one needed to know about the storms in my home. Pride had me in a locked and seated position. Then to my right, my wife slowly began to stand. The speaker then asked for anyone still seated to stand and to place their arms around those who had risen…. and to pray together. Suddenly, as I stood to embrace my wife, we both were embraced by others. Complete strangers who not only prayed but wept with us, almost like they felt our pain.

Suddenly, the words I’d heard all my life about God made more sense. These who stood with us were the faith-filled. Like those strangers who had formed a network of hearts in that small country church around this man seven years earlier… they were the Faith-full. The healing and hope provided through those strangers who I’m confident had survived storms of their own, stood ready, willing, and wanting to encourage us through ours.

“The Lord IS faithful” took on a whole new meaning for me today. I hope such faithfulness will mark my life going forward. We need others who are faithful to surround us, but more importantly (and likely more healing) we need to be the faith-full to others.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being faithful and for those around us who are faith-full. You often show us hope through others who reflect Jesus to us in this world. May we acknowledge these people and serve as the faith-full to those who are just barely surviving their own storms.

---

---

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God.” – Isaac 43:2