When we left for school today, the entire city was shrouded in thick fog. My daughter exclaimed, "I can't even see the Westin!" The Westin happens to be the tallest building in our immediate vicinity. "It's like it's not even there!" she shouted.
It's there. It didn't disappear. We take it on faith.
My cousin's daughter had a baby last night. She has some medical problems, but we all know that she will be fine.
We take it on faith.
As corny as it sounds, I'm always and forever surprised when I get into an airplane - and get off in a different location. It seems like magic, the reality that we get into a metal cylinder, sit in a seat, grumble about almost everything that happens, and get off, a few hours later, in a different place, probably a different time, and possibly a different culture. How do we know it will work?
We take it on faith.
I saw a terrible car accident last night. Four cars and one motorcycle, it closed down one of the major intersections in our city last night for quite a while. I was in the front of the line of cars, and was able to observe the action for a span of time. The ambulances arrived, the stretchers were pulled out, and bodies were transported to various locations. The mother of one of the drivers arrived in her car, and as I watched, she jumped out of the still moving vehicle to run to her son, shoving past the police office who tried to keep her away. She screamed, "My son! My son!" He was shaken up, but otherwise unhurt, and called to her across the demolished vehicles, debris strewn across the asphalt. The mother sobbed, hugging her son to her. She knew he was going to be ok.
She took it on faith.
Four of my kids take Advair for their asthma. The medication is in a disk, and it's inhaled. We can't see it. We can't touch it. We fervently hope and pray that it works. We take it on faith.
We pray, oh we pray, some of us loud and excited, with raised hands and cries that echo off the rooftops, and some of us oh so quiet, desperate in our desire but afraid to vocalize it. We pray to someone who we can't see, we've never seen, but we know exists. Even though we question, we doubt, we worry - most of us end up believing.
We take it on faith.
I attended class last night to become a Eucharistic Minister at our church. It's one of my lenten promises. It will take me out of my comfort zone and is the beginning of a larger step, one that I've shared with no one and will not until it's time. Brother was explaining the Theology of The Body, and midsentence, he stopped. "We don't know. We don't see. We can't touch, and we can't smell. We take it on faith."
So much of our daily life is based on faith. Not necessarily Faith, with a capital F, but standard, garden variety belief that it will work out.
Maybe it's religious faith, might be superstitious faith, could possibly be scientific faith. It's there, though, that understood, unshaken belief that it is what it is, it will work out, there's no explanation other than that core feeling, the gut instinct.
Thank you for the most inspiring writing I've read in a long time. I'm currently struggling with another heart related issue and your writing was exactly what I needed to read.
Prayers being sent for the new wee one as well.
Posted by: susan | March 20, 2012 at 09:47 AM
-->It's all so true.
(Side note, if you're ever holding the wine I'll smile and walk right past. I can't get over my fear of The Back Wash when it comes to communion.)
Posted by: WebSavvyMom | March 20, 2012 at 11:08 AM
If your Dad was an Air Force pilot, you would know about every bolt, radial and crankshaft that went into making an airplane fly--there would be no mystery at all. You would have also made a pilgrimage to the Wright Brothers Museum in Nags Head and genuflicted to the deities of aviaation!
Posted by: Pat | March 20, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Beautiful! A reminder to me of the Have faith, 'all will be okay.' feelings I experienced last week. This morning, it was all okay.
Many prayers for the baby...I know exactly how that feels as I experienced with Sean. We knew he was going to be okay, eventuallly. The Doctors were not so sure he would live, and he still might pass away, but he will be 13 next month!
Posted by: Shelly | March 20, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Amen Sister! :-)
Posted by: LizP | March 20, 2012 at 02:51 PM
That's lovely and so true Carmen. You seem to have very strong faith which I admire in anyone. While I consider myself a catholic and am raising my children in this faith, there are certain things in my religion i dont agree with. As a child I always wanted to be a minister of the Eucharistic, not now I'd be afraid I'd drop something, I also wanted to be an altar girl, which in Ireland in the 70's was unheard of.
Please excuse the mistakes I am typing on my phone, the laptop died a while ago. Best wishes dear.
Posted by: J from Ireland | March 20, 2012 at 07:05 PM
I am clinging to my faith and my God with both hands right now and pleading that everything turns out okay. It's not just one thing, it's multiple and all of them are very, very serious. I'm terrified but I have faith that God will see me through.
Posted by: Jenn W | March 20, 2012 at 08:00 PM
Best thing you have ever posted. (and I have loved LOTS of your posts). So excited for you on your new ministry journey.
Posted by: Jaichh | March 20, 2012 at 08:53 PM
*gets all serious*
Wow Carmen, good for you!
And many, many prayers for the baby...
(keep us posted)
Posted by: KG | March 20, 2012 at 09:20 PM
A beautiful post, Carmen.
Posted by: beth | March 20, 2012 at 09:30 PM
Good for you, Carmen.I am pressing the big LIKE button now.
Posted by: Mary @ A Simple Twist of Faith | March 20, 2012 at 09:32 PM
This is lovely, Carmen.
Posted by: Jenny | March 20, 2012 at 10:01 PM
Beautiful.
Posted by: Susan | March 20, 2012 at 11:21 PM
Way to go Carmen! Too too cool - and so appro. for this Season of faith! Like Jenn W - I have a boatload of 'stuff' going on right now. Many/most are problems of my own, er...creation. The verse that says - be still and know that I AM GOD, keeps running through my head.
Posted by: D | March 21, 2012 at 01:22 AM
Lovely.
Posted by: LisaK | March 21, 2012 at 07:54 PM
This is beautifully written and expressed.
Posted by: kyooty | March 21, 2012 at 08:21 PM
Beautiful post, thank you for putting these thoughts out there for us all to ponder...
Posted by: Carmen (not Stacier) ;-) | March 22, 2012 at 01:28 AM
I've been thinking about becoming a EM for some time now; you've inspired me - "inspired" is infused with the Holy Spirit. Wow. God works in mysterious ways.
Posted by: JMB | March 23, 2012 at 09:14 AM
Faith is how we cope with struggles, how we KNOW that we'll get through the difficult times and know there is a rainbow on the other side. My faith is in our Lord and Savior and His promises that He has a plan comfort me. Great post, Carmen! That precious baby girl couldn't be more perfect in our eyes and our faith gives us a peace in all that's to come. Yes there have been some scary moments and there may continue to be, but faith is what will see us through each obstacle and God gets all the credit for all the blessings. :) Love you!
Posted by: Tammy | March 26, 2012 at 10:33 AM