Faith

It's been awhile since any one's posted here so I thought I'd give it a shot. I don't have much time...the kids are quiet but how long will that last? I've been thinking about faith quite a bit lately. Not just faith as in knowing there's a God and knowing that He lives but faith in my daily life and faith in raising my children. As I've gotten older I've become aware that there's a big difference between church faith and faith faith. It's not easily articulated but I'm going to give it a shot and see what you ladies think about it.

Since becoming a mother, I worried about every thing. The what ifs kept me up countless nights and made me second guess my every move. Am I enough, am I doing enough, am I teaching them enough? Basically, I've become a fearful being. Me, who's always been the first to face a challenge head on, had become a person ruled by fear when it came to my children. Then I noticed how carefree other mothers seemed to be. They weren't neglecting their children or ignoring dangers but they weren't consumed with the dangers like I seemed to be. What was I missing?

Then a few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to go to Relief Society (something I rarely get to do) and someone mentioned that fear is the absence of faith. Of course I've heard that statement before but it never sunk in until that moment. Faith, the deeper faith was what I was missing. Not that I didn't have faith but...it wasn't applied to my daily life. I prayed for my children and their safety but didn't have the trust that followed that my children were being looked after. Of course that doesn't mean that if I pray for them, they can play in the street all day and still be safe but I have to let go a little and trust that the Lord knows what He's doing and He wants them as safe as I do. This has been a huge lesson for me.

President Monson puts it in better words when he says, "Of course, we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet opposition. Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but also as a determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well."(Pres. Monson May 2004 Liahona) He's talking about fear overall and I love where he says that facing your fears with dignity is courage. I guess that's what I'm doing. Letting my sweet babies into the world without an embedded tracking device or hidden cameras following their every move and making sure they're safe but trusting and hoping they are.

This talk is amazing and talks about letting go of fear and despair and turning to faith and hope.
"Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. We've been told that if we walk with 'faith in every footstep' we will be blessed. How can that not extend to the sweet spirits we're called to protect. We must walk by faith. That means stepping into the dark unknowns because we believe that Heavenly Father is awaiting us.