Published: September 27, 2008 12:06 am         

Faith is found in the journey

Just hold on.

Since I ended with you in my last column last October, a number of things have occurred in my life, and this motto has become the drumbeat of my faith.

It seems fitting to make it the title of my column, which will start appearing every other Saturday as I trade off with my blessed friend and prayer warrior Patsy Sorrels.

I spent the summer engrossed in Beth Moore’s “Stepping Up” and then transitioned this fall into Moore’s “The Patriarchs.” Much of the Scripture in both studies center on a journey, often through the desert.

The past several months have been a journey, on many levels, for me. I’ll expound on much of that in later columns, but today I want to focus on the “holding on” part.

I have been learning to just hold on to God. In the midst of the journey, there have been circumstances out of my control.

The most out of control I felt was when my precious mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. So progressed were the tumors and the effect they had on her body, death was eminent.

My second mom was going to die before I felt ready to let her go, and there was nothing I could do about it. I became violently ill within days of the diagnosis and lost at least five pounds. It was not exactly my idea of a weight-loss plan.

My husband, sister-in-law and I were to the point of making funeral plans with Mom and family came to say their goodbyes.

All I could do was just hold on to my faith, the very faith my mother-in-law is known for, that God was in control and the outcome would glorify Him.

Others were steadfast in their prayers Mom would be healed. These godly women and men (so many I cannot thank them all) stood in the gap for family members like me who barely were clinging to the belief God could change the impossible.

Six weeks later it was evident a miracle had occurred — Mom bounced back from death’s door. The cancer no longer had its hold on her. She was strong enough to resume her own life without any physical assistance from humans or machines.

Have you ever felt that way, that your life is out of control?

If you’ll accept a word from me, let me say, just hold on.

I’m not promising it will get better soon nor am I claiming it will be perfectly wonderful when all is said and done.

But I can offer you this: Hope.

When God has us leave one place, He has another place in mind. He didn’t say there wouldn’t be trials along the way. Nevertheless, those trials usually have blessings in disguise and often make us stronger.

One thing I know, if He takes you from ... you-fill-in-the-blank, he will take you to ... another you-fill-in-the-blank. Notice I said take. He will be with you no matter what situation or circumstance.

You and I have to trust He knows what He’s doing, and He has our best interests at heart.

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ... For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11: 8, 10.

Just hold on. There is a spring on the other side of the desert. It may take a season to get there, but just hold on.



Replogle is a freelance writer and a News & Eagle editor. E-mail her at ruthannr@enidnews.com.