Terry Doughty    

Living by faith to have an abundant life

2 Corinthians 5:7 “for our life is a matter of faith not of sight.”
Matt. 6:25 “Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life,”
John 10:10 “I have come in order that you might have life and have it abundantly.”

 In my adult years, I have found the following saying to be a reflection of my faith and it has been my philosophy for dealing with the challenges that have come along in life.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning how to dance in the rain. My faith has given me hope and strength to deal with disappointment, illness and uncertainty when facing unknowns in life. This motivational saying seems to summarize an approach to living that encompasses the understanding that worry does not help us cope when life is stressful but trusting God to have a plan will. I no longer wonder why bad things happen and I realize that being a Christian does not offer any protection from adverse events.

Difficulties are simply a part of life that challenge us to grow and I strive to not fall prey to feeling a victim of circumstance. I trust that God is aware of my distress and I take comfort in the promise that Christ is always with me and all things are possible through him. The hard part for me is tackling issues without surrendering my joy of living.

 Life is meant to be lived as a gift and experienced abundantly but worry and lack of faith drains the positive energy I normally have to face each day. I have learned that prayer helps me find the direction I need to deal with troubles in a positive fashion; helps conquer my doubts and gives me hope for a positive outcome. Only when I surrender my concerns and decide to trust in God am I able to discover the ability to “dance in the rain”. Living by faith gives me hope or perhaps it is hope obtained through prayer and my Christian faith that helps me live my life “abundantly”.    

 Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, Strengthen my faith so that I can face the challenges of life with hope and purpose, knowing you are by my side. Help me discover ways to express my faith by the way I live; finding joy in everyday moments and the ability to love others the way you love me, so I can live life abundantly.

Amen