Originally, the reaction that I got from people was one of, "You left your job?  How will you pay your bills?   What about Health Insurance? 

As Christians, it seems that we say we HAVE FAITH, but yet in reality at times we seem to be so lacking of it!

I understand and appreciate the concern for my well-being, and know that their hearts were in the right place, but where is the FAITH in those questions?  Not a single comment of, "Wow, what a great example of Faith.  Please let us know if there's anything we can do for your family."

It seems that somewhere along the way we were stripped of our ability to THINK for ourselves and lost the most basic of instilled abilities:  To have child-like innocence.  We lost our grip on that blind faith.  Faith that gets you through tough times.  Faith that enables us to move forward when you don't know what the future holds, or what is around the next corner.

Have we become so spoiled as a society that we must plan out every step of our lives, even when God has called us to do His work, and He assures us that He will take care of us, and that it will all "Be O.K."?

Matthew 6:31-35 says: "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."

Does that mean we're supposed to stupidly squander our money, and not worry about how to pay our bills, take care of our family, etc?  ABSOLUTELY NOT.  God still wants us to be wise stewards of our money.

The Bible simply says, in Luke 17:6, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."

Do I think that faith combined with the knowledge that you are IN God's Will doing His work is powerful?

Absolutely! 

So, I've come to the realization, that somewhere along the way I became guilty of placing too much confidence and faith in MAN, in Leaders, in Relationships, and in the Establishment.  I let my confidence and faith, which should have rested SOLELY in God, be shifted to mere mortals.  We are all human, fallible, well-intentioned, but yet sometimes lacking in the most basic of child-like emotions.

And so it becomes a paradigm shift of sorts for me.  A realization that my faith and confidence cannot be placed in others.  It cannot be placed in friends and family, nor in the Church, nor in other people, not even my wife.  It can be placed in Christ ALONE.

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This week I watched my son work in the Mission's warehouse, no air-conditioning, sweating profusely.  Happily helping, fully cognizant and satisfied in the knowledge that he was helping others. 

Gabriel rides next to me in the truck on occasion to help pick up donations, and he's zealous in his eagerness to help.  He asks me, "When can we go pick up some more stuff for people?"   He's only 4 foot tall, and weighs in at probably 50 pounds, but that little boy will put his entire determination and spirit into trying to help me lift a washing machine into the back of the truck.

And THAT is when it hits home....   It's all gonna be OK.