The Hall Of Faith
The Hall Of Faith
While sitting today I was considering my weekend. Actually, I should start from the beginning of the vision I felt God gave me over a year ago. We had to do some repair work on our deck. During that planning, I had a dream one night about reclaiming space under our deck.
The vision was creating a safe place for people to come dream, create, and heal. This new space would be a pottery studio and a garden room. If it was going to be a space just for a hobby I’m definitely sure I would not have been willing to push through some of my own physical challenges to create the space. But there was a sense that this idea was not one of my own or even for my benefit but a dream that came from God. It was a dream that discouragement or physical limitations couldn’t chase away.
Shortly after we began repairs, not even yet working on the intended reclaimed space, the lower three discs in my back each bulged. I wasn’t able to walk more than 350 steps a day without extreme pain. The good news is I wasn’t doing the repairs. The bad news? I love being very active with about 7,500 to 10,000 steps being more to my liking. Sitting and allowing my back to heal was not easy for me. I found discouragement even depression from time-to-time hounded me, sometimes catching me. But I couldn’t escape the dream. The urgency inside my heart burned.
My husband, Steve, declared the space a “healing sanctuary” the minute we stood in this dark muddy place where our dogs used to relieve themselves. I looked around and thought I hadn’t considered it a sanctuary but was open to the idea. Knowing in my heart it would take God to create Steve’s vision.
As the months passed I hadn’t considered faith being a component to that dream being realized. But, it was. We are now a year later. The two spaces have been created. Even as we were in the midst of creating God started bringing people to use the spaces. My husband’s book reading group of men started coming winter and spring. Part of their time here they prayed for men’s heart to heal and be made whole.
Then we had a missionary family visit for a few days. The husband reported back to us: “The time in your pottery studio catalyzed some dreaming in my wife for the kinds of diverse spaces she most wants to use to heal and activate others. I’m so grateful for that.”
Healing, creating, dreaming for those who came into those spaces had become a reality.
Back to this weekend.
One more push in order to complete the pottery studio; tables created, glazes mixed; A hard physical weekend. There is order, a sense of peace that came with that last screw in the table. Everyone sat and just enjoyed visiting. Peace was real and palpable. Healing, creating, and dreaming is present.
It is a small project in the big picture of living. But in my devotions this morning I came across Hebrews 11 the “Hall of Faith” as it’s been called. It was a chapter I have considered when praying for our missionary friends but today it became real for me.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
Hebrews 11: 1-3 New International Version (NIV)
It’s not just these first three verses but in fact the entire chapter. The “By faith…Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Israelites passing through the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho, Rehab,” and all their stories. It goes on to mention “Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Those who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength…”
Wow, and then again WOW, “whose weakness was turned to strength.” All of these mentioned in Hebrews didn’t see the whole big picture when they had a dream, vision or promise from God. They only had what they knew was God plus their inadequacies, weaknesses, and what they knew they didn’t have. But they walked forward knowing if God said it He would provide.
Their journey was not a proverbial walk in the park, not even close. The reality is they went through the crucible to get from vision to the end of their journey fulfilling this vision God had given them. God provided all along their journey choices to follow God’s direction or not.
It was never assumed that it would be easy or without a price. It was believed that God would be faithful to provide whatever they needed to fulfill that which God had directed. This was including but not limited to: being thrown into the fire, checking into the lion’s den, or being sold by your brothers. God was with all of them including Abraham, an old man who became the father of many nations.
My world, impact or price may not be what theirs was but if they knew God would be faithful, and He was, then I can know that God will be faithful. It doesn’t matter what God puts on our heart. It doesn’t matter what weakness or lack we have. The Word says: “whose weakness was turned to strength,” that is His promise. Our job is to have faith that God will provide whatever is necessary to fulfill the work He has planned for each of us.
We don’t know what the end is or even who will be impacted but He does. Ours is to have faith that God is faithful and He will equip us for every leg of our journey.
Today can you read Hebrews chapter 11 and see if your faith isn’t bolstered by those who have gone before us?
