I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I was nine years old. One of the bones in my ankle developed slightly crooked, which resulted in extremely poor coordination.
One day, my grandfather came home and presented me with a decrepit bicycle he had found by the dumpster in our neighborhood. He told me I would learn ride this bike, and after removing some dried twigs from the spokes, I nodded my head in agreement.
Every day I dragged that rusted bike outside, asked God to help me, and practiced until the sun went down. Several weeks went by of me returning home sweaty, smiling, and covered in scrapes. I’m certain my grandfather prayed many Hail Marys as he watched me crash repeatedly into the thorny bushes that grew along our street.
I, however, was undaunted by those failures because I possessed the child-like faith that does not question whether God will show up.
Do you remember a moment when you had that kind of faith? That playful and totally trusting faith of a brave little girl? Maybe you can recall many moments of rich faithfulness. Maybe you are drawing on empty. But I can tell you, my dear sister, that God will show up.
In the First Reading, we are told, "[t]hose who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith" (Galatians 3:9).
Abraham had the bold faith of a child. When the Lord told Abraham, an old man with no property, that he would become ‘the father of many nations’ Abraham believed that God would provide. Abraham believed in God’s promises.
We call Abraham ‘our father in faith’ in the Liturgy because he was an example of hoping in what we cannot yet see.
This very same audacious hope is in our hearts, and whether it is overflowing from within you or buried beneath the hurts and hardships of life, you have it. You can claim it. God will show up for you as you wipe the sleep from your eyes in preparation for a long day of living out sacrificial love.
God will show up for you in whatever storm you are facing and whatever fear is gripping you. God will show up for you in your trials and in your triumphs because you are His and you are precious to Him.
Christ ransomed you. He believed that you were worth dying for.
Look at the children in your life, in your family, among your friends. Take their trusting hearts as an example for your heart today.
Leana Bowler lives in Arizona with her husband, five children, feisty grandma, and three dogs. She love Jesus, writing jokes, books, strong coffee, and drawing upgraded stick figure people. You can find out more about her here.
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