A little bit of faith
Faith. It’s a little word that packs a punch! For many, the connotation has a religious assumption to it and, honestly, it’s a fair application of the word. But faith is far further reaching. Faith is part of life, as much for the atheist, agnostic and Anglican☺. Just to illustrate a few ways I’m thinking today, as we go about our work as moms and dads, employees and leaders, students or whatever…
I have lost faith in the possibility of the Mariner’s winning the American League West this year.
I have faith that drinking 100oz of water daily is the best thing I can do for my body nutritionally.
I have faith in the positive impact I have in my kid’s lives as a father, even though they are grown and gone.
I have faith…
Faith is how you see the world – a lens through which you view. It is informed by data experience and time. Faith requires collaboration with others and (painfully) demands testing so that unclear things become abundantly transparent. Faith begins as an idea and a hypothesis, morphs into ideology and pattern – yet it becomes pure and true the longer it gets tested…OR it gets abandoned.
Faith lost is the darkest of human despondency. That, my friends, is where we must help and guide away from.
Quick story. 40 years ago, Teri & I became parents. I knew I didn’t know what the heck I was doing (hoped that Teri knew more than I did!) but I knew I wanted to be a great dad. I saw my role as a protector and provider, teacher and coach to my son. Then along came his sister, then his brother, then his next sister…I grew and worked and tried and strove. I watched others I admired, I read, I prayed, I attended conferences, I engaged. Protect, provide, teach, coach. I also felt like being a parent was like pushing a boulder up a hill many times. Being a dad was fun, exhausting, amazing, terrifying – just depended on the moment and momentum.
If, during any point along the first 20 years of the journey, you had asked me what being a parent was like – I would have told you and that ‘data’ and ‘experience’ would have been accurate as of that ‘time’ and season. Now, with another 20 years under my belt, I would tell you what being a parent is like with a larger body of data, experience and time from which to convey my perspective – my faith – my view of parenting.
My encouragement today is quite focused. I know you need lots and lots of faith to do this life, your work, your highest endeavor roles. I know you want to succeed, to be great, to have more wins than losses – and I know there are areas you are having success and others that you might not have the momentum or victory you want.
You have the faith you need already – but you might have your eyes on the wrong point of focus occasionally. I sure can do that and, well, it’s just part of being human. But we can have faith that grows over time, with more experience and more data.
Don’t abandon your faith – ever! Grow it! The help you need is far nearer than you are admitting. Refocusing is always needed. You and I – we can refocus. We can see clearly again.
When we abandon our faith, it is very similar to a parent who parents without the goal of being great at that role! Kids will be kids, I can’t do anything about it…let’s just call that what it is – a lousy way of seeing things! A good parent does not parent that way (even if yours might have been such)…that is not you, or me. We were made to be great at things like parenting and our careers and on such.
This isn’t about achieving personal mastery – it’s about faith being made perfect in us. And that is the part that needs to be talked about regularly. Faith is perfected by the data that comes in and forms how we think. Test it, verify it, truth-test it – toss out what isn’t true and hold to what is. Experience it – don’t make more of the failures or successes than they are – let the experiences aggregate and tell you the story so you can grow. And give yourself time – it takes a long time for great things to become great. And you, friend, with abiding faith, are changing and becoming great.
I write this to you today – every time I write in fact – because I have faith that a little encouragement and perspective, dripped into our day, inspires the change we all desire in our innermost selves.
Have faith – adjust focus – reach out and encourage another today.
(What a person should focus on…that’s what we’ll keep talking about every week!)
Peace~
Craig
I say this often and mean it every time…reach out and make my email machine ding! I’m happy to connect.
