1 All Faith, No Fear Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. HEBREWS 11:1 I was hundreds of miles away from home as a freshmen student at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School in Colorado Springs. I was homesick and couldn t wait to see my family at Christmas break. Little did I know that would be the start of the most difficult period I have faced in my life. When Christmas break finally arrived a few weeks later, I headed home. But I wasn t greeted with the happy welcome I had envisioned. My parents announced that my dad would be having surgery to remove a goiter the following day. This came as a surprise because my dad looked strong and healthy, just as he had always appeared. I sat with my two siblings and my mom in the 15
A HIGHER CALLING hospital while we waited for the doctors to finish the surgery. But before we were allowed to see him, there was another nasty surprise. We learned that the doctors had discovered two different types of thyroid cancer. The treatment plan was intense my dad would need his thyroid removed and then undergo radiation treatment. His body would never be the same again. My dad was my real- life hero. I was devastated! I sat in silence, gripped by fear, anger, and confusion. I was afraid the treatments would fail and that I would lose my dad. The cancer seemed so sudden, so random. I knew my dad didn t deserve this terrible twist of fate, so how could this be happening? We were finally allowed to see Dad in the recovery room. And just as quickly as fear took hold of me in the waiting room, once I was with my dad, I felt the physical presence and peace of God settle over me. There sat my dad, an enormous smile on his face despite the awful news he had learned. And what s more, he was telling the hospital staff about his faith that he believed in a God who was far bigger than cancer, and that he was not afraid. On one of the worst days of my dad s life, he chose not to give in to fear. Instead, he remembered the love of God and shared it with those around him. In that moment, Dad taught me how to trust that no matter what I faced, God was bigger. Jeremiah 32:17 says, Ah, Sovereign Lor d, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Whatever you re up against today, no matter how big the mountain is in front of you, keep your eyes on our powerful God. 16
My dad knew that cancer could take his life. But even with that knowledge, he chose to not be anxious about it and instead trusted that however things turned out, God was in control. God is bigger than any of our problems. And like my dad telling the nurses about Jesus, God can use our problems to bring about good things. As we drove home from the hospital, I thought about the fact that my dad, my hero and my role model, had cancer... but cancer didn t have him. I was still scared I cried as my sister held my hand but I was learning to trust God more than I trusted my fear. This was a major turning point in my walk with God because I realized that, as followers of Christ, we are called to be people of faith, not people of fear. If you are not sure whether your faith is strong enough to trust God more than fear, more than the problems you re facing, don t worry. In my experience, faith doesn t feel like 100 percent confidence that everything will be perfect in the end. If that were the case, it wouldn t be faith; it would be fact. But faith is being sure that, even though we don t know how things will end, we can trust God will work it out for good. Faith is being sure that God hears your prayers, even if you don t see the answers yet. Faith is knowing that anxiety and fear don t control you. Faith is being sure that, even on your worst days, God is good. Do you have the faith to trust Christ through every All Faith, No Fear Faith is being sure that, even though we don t know how things will end, we can trust God will work it out for good. 17
A HIGHER CALLING situation? If you re still not sure, don t give up. In Mark 9:24, we find a father who is struggling to believe that Jesus can and will heal his son. He wants to believe, but he feels his faith shaking. He begs Jesus, Help me overcome my unbelief! Sometimes we have to pray this prayer asking Jesus to help us as we try to place all our faith and trust in him. God will help you. Sometimes he encourages us through the words of the Bible, or through a conversation with a friend or family member. Other times, he will calm your anxiety, giving you peace and hope. I am pleased to say that now, my dad is cancer- free and healthy. All glory be to God! And as for me, that was just the start of my journey to discovering my higher calling. REFLECT Reflect on that truth that God, who knows all things, is never surprised at what happens in our lives. Even if we re overwhelmed by our circumstances, he isn t. In the Psalms, we read that God holds all creation in the palm of his hand, and that includes you. As you journal and pray today, open your heart to God and share with him all your concerns and fears. And thank him for his constant love and faithfulness. Ask him to help you grow in your faith and trust in his good plans. 18