Jen’s Gem: Walk by faith, not by sight.

During a recent visit with my daughter, a discussion arose about faith. Like many young adults, she is questioning who God is and how He plays into her life. She calls upon Him in times of stress for herself and her friends.  She also thanks Him when she experiences His favor, which has been in abundance as of late. 

How do you believe in something you can’t see,” she said. My daughter is of a generation that is skeptical of everything, perhaps rightly so. Thankfully, she does not take things at face value and does her own research to get to the truth. 

We have had many discussion about God and the importance of having a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus. Not a religion mind you, but a real relationship. I have told her on many occasions that the best way to begin is to first, you have to want one and second, you have to open a Bible to learn about who God is.  The same is true for anyone, not just twenty-somethings.

“How can a young person live a clean life?  By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;  don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.”  (Psalm 119:9-11 MSG)

I detail my walk with God in my book, Finding God. Finding Me. I write about the ups and downs of my life in which God was tucked away in a box to the time when His presence was palpable. 

I shared some of the events noted in my book with her and recommended she read it. She texted me on Friday night that she was doing just that on the train to Boston to visit a friend. She said she was making notes in the margins that she wanted to discuss with me. Yay!

I knew when I wrote my book that I was taking a risk. People might be shocked to read the intimate details of my life, to see that while on the outside I looked like I had it all together, the inside was a hot mess. Sharing that it was God who saved my life and that it was my faith in Him that enabled me to crawl out of the pit I was in was risky. But it was worth it.

Many people contacted me after reading the book and said how much they related to it. There were so many “me too!” messages from readers who experienced similar circumstances. Exposing my vulnerability enabled others to expose theirs and experience healing. 

When you really think about it, we are all more alike than we are different. Everyone faces difficult circumstances. No one is immune. It boils down to how we handle them. Will we cave in or rise above? Will we bury them or expose them and ask for help? Will we rely on our own strength or God’s supernatural strength to get through? 

Here is what I’ve learned since I began my walk with God. Life without Him is impossible. Life with Him makes all things possible. Life without Him is a mess. Life with Him is a miracle. I still struggle and have challenging days, yet now, I am able to go through them and not crack as I once did. 

I didn’t write this post to sell more books. God will take care of that. In fact, when I turned on my computer this morning, I faced a blank page. Nothing was top of mind to write about. But as He so often does, God gave me the words to say. 

I’m thrilled that my daughter is reading my book. I am excited for her to realize that it is possible to have a relationship with someone you can’t see. In fact, it’s more than possible. It’s life transforming. 

If exposing myself to her and the world gets people to see and understand this, then it was

 worth the risk. If sharing my walk with God gets more people to open up their Bibles and begin their own relationship with Him, then it was worth the risk. If my story helps you to share yours, then it was worth the risk.

There is only one reason I am here today. God saved my life. I believe He did so because He wanted me to do exactly what I’m doing here -tell others about what He did (and continues to do) for me. And guess what? What He did for me, He will do for you. I am a living, breathing example of all God can do.

I did not see God on that life-changing day years ago, but I’m convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Him and I’ve been blessed ever since. Seeing is not always believing.

“Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”” (John 20:29 NKJV)