There was a time
nothing seemed true,
all was shifting shadows.
I got caught up in the chaotic world,
spinning nonsensically out of control.
I wasn’t even sure what to believe about myself.
Much about my life was uncertain
and faltering circumstances
further provoked me to worry.
As a single mother, I fretted about
keeping the house,
keeping the lights on,
keeping the car running, the fridge stocked . . .
the kids from becoming another statistic.
It was all beyond me.
But God gifted faith,
to believe Him,
and trust His goodness and grace to get us through.
God planted a seed of faith in my heart.
It wasn’t something I had to muster up.
No! It was pure gift.
My meager faith He enlarged,
adding a strength, peace, and confidence—
even in the midst of trial and difficulty.
It was such a gift!
One of many—too numerous to count.
And it moved me to respond.
Isn’t that what we naturally long to do
when given a precious gift?
Express gratitude.
Give back.
But what?
An answer to this desire surfaced
from the pages of the Bible.
There, God made clear what He longs to find.
It seemed to me
that God has given us faith
that we might possess it . . . for Him.
It’s a gift He’s given
that He wants us to
return.
And, like His other gifts
of love, joy, and righteousness,
they’re given to give away.
As the Christmas season neared those many years ago, and thoughts of gift-giving filled my head, I wanted to offer something to Him. And I remembered His longing for faith.
I wanted to better understand it.
I wanted to know it . . . taste it . . . see it . . .
breathe it in moment-by-moment.
But I hadn’t a clue
what made for a gift-worthy faith.
So, I studied daily, pen in hand.
Little did I know
it was born of need,
to meet a need.
It was the perfect time of year
to discover more fully this gift of faith—
truly making Christmas merry.
But it was a season with two dueling faces. One face had its sights set on the cares of this world—where troubles relentlessly tried to sabotage faith. But the other face, fixed heavenward, countered with a walloping punch.
In a time of want and weakness
the Lord’s abiding Presence,
coupled with the reaffirming truth of His Word,
steadied the course and galvanized faith.
The gift I had intended to give Him,
became an even greater gift to me —
in that bittersweet season . . . and beyond.
And those pages and pages of faith words?
I now want to share them
with you.
So that Christmas will be wrapped
with gifts of faith
for Him!
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