è A warm cyclist on a freezing winter’s morning; they know it’s cold but the cold’s meaning on the senses is nullified. They have the ability to feel some of the pain but it’s no longer excruciating.
è The dripping tap over a plugged sink. It will soon fill up and the drip that represented trouble converts to useable water; and when the sink is full, it’s capable and set ready to go.
è Five minutes to go in the football game. Fans cling to the edges of their seats. The footballers play for their lives. All hinges on time and fate. All anyone can do is play ‘til the end.
è Choosing one way that’s beyond the reason of the rational human being. The other way makes more worldly sense but God says, “No.” We don’t go there and faith knows it.
è Leaving a meal with family half finished to be with a lonely friend who needs us. Our hunger mightn’t be completely satisfied but we realise the importance of doing the right thing at such a time as this.
è Bending the rules when the rules don’t apply—knowing when it’s right to bend the rules. It’s taking a risk when the precedent hasn’t previously been thought of or considered. It’s breaking past legalism, and beyond, into the vista of the love and wisdom of God.
è Enlisting for some sort of service we know God might be calling us to, no matter the personal cost, for the issues of personal cost are inconsequential compared with the overall costs of not doing same.
è Renegotiating the release of a captive with the hijacker. It’s a tricky business requiring all our insight and pluck. Think of the spiritual hijacking. What might be required via intercessory prayer? We trust our faith and Spiritual insight.
è Having a fist fight where the oppressor leaves us no choice. Not only is brute strength needed, but timing and tactics as well. Faith is much more than the fight itself. It underwrites the fight.
è Acknowledging we’re the only ones who can change. It’s taking personal responsibility for all our intrapersonal and interpersonal situations. Here too is humility also exposed.
è Being alone with God. For the better part of life we are alone in any event whether we like it or not; alone beforehand; alone with God in our thoughts and feelings; alone after when the physical life passes for the next realm.
Faith is what life’s all about. Without faith we’re not even shadows of our former selves. It’s only through practiced faith that we can ever actualise ourselves unto potential and true freedom.
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
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