Faith

Favian (child) and Delilah (dog) and I recently went on an epic road trip. We drove 2500 kms from our house in Saskatchewan to my sister’s house in southern Ontario and back again in 12 days. We had a great time and saw lots of beautiful and amazing things.

Here’s a breakdown of Day 1:
Get our new dog microchipped and pick up tick medicine.
Get new tires put on the car (supposed to be an hour and a half, but due to bad information – from me – and wrongly labelled stock – them – it took 3 hours).
Leave town 4 hours later than planned.
Stop half an hour out of town  because the dog is chewing on her halter.
Drive another fifteen minutes and stop again. The dog is still chewing, and we take a picture in front of the big Indian head statue in Indian Head, SK.
Drive another half an hour and stop by the Summerberry cemetery because the tire gauge light on the dash goes on.
Can’t do anything at the Summerberry cemetery, so drive on to Grenfell (10 minutes). Consult with a kindly gentleman who confirms that they look and feel fine (nothing more official is open at 5:00 pm on a Sunday). He suggests we go on to Brandon, MB (our original destination plan), but to keep our speed low.
Lose an hour in a time change at the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border.
Pull into a motel at about 10:00 pm.
Walk the dog.
Sleep.

Day 2:
Get up, find the local Canadian Tire to inquire about having the tires checked. They have time in an hour. Yay!
Find a pet store to replace the completely chewed in half halter and buy a bigger, more impressive chew bone.
Pick up the car (it was just that the tire gauge needed to be reset). Whew!
Leave town by noon!
See a sign for a Reptile Garden. Cool! We take the road less traveled to check it out.
Step out of the car at the Reptile Garden and it’s 1000 degrees. No problem. I have two car keys; I’ll leave the car running so the dog doesn’t die when we get back in.
Wait. Where did I put the other car key? It’s the one I left with them at Canadian Tire. I definitely had it in my hand at one point, but can’t remember putting it in my bag.
Call Canadian Tire. Lovely, helpful Brandon (from Brandon) looks but cannot find it. Sorry.
Well, there’s nothing I can do to conjure it out of thin air, so we’ll keep going.
Pray.
Pray.
Pray.
Pray.
Fifteen minutes later my phone rings. Brandon saying, “We found it!”
What!?!
I say, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! That’s amazing! I’m so happy! Thank you!”
Then I hang up and think, “What if it’s not the right key? What if it’s someone else’s VW key?”
The Spirit says, “Just pull over and call back. You know what the key ring looks like; ask them to describe it.”
I pull over, make the call and ask the question. Yes! It is the right key!
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You are literally an answer to prayer! This is amazing! Thank you! I will pick it up 10 days from now.”

*Favian cringing in the passenger seat.

Days 3-11:
Remind ourselves once a day to pick up the key on our way home.
Do great stuff.
See great stuff.
Talk.
Sing.
Sleep.
Read.
Walk the dog.
Do NOT worry about whether the key is the right one, or whether it will actually be there.

Day 12:
Pull into Brandon and drive directly to the Canadian Tire and pick up the key.
Drive to the nearby Tim Horton’s to buy a dozen doughnuts for the amazing life savers. Deliver doughnuts and say Thank You several times again.

 

Then. Then I got thinking about faith.

When I got that amazing phone call telling me the key had been found, I was so grateful! And then I had doubts. The Spirit was not fazed by my doubts. “Just pull over and ask the question.” No problem.

The thought that struck me as I left the store was that I had spent the intervening days living like the key was already in my pocket. And that got me thinking about my faith in God. How many times has God asked me to have faith about something and I still live like the key might not be the right one? Or that someone else will claim it? Or that they won’t follow through on their word and keep it for me? Or that I’ll get there and someone will say, “Just kidding!”

Losing this key showed me, demonstrated for me, had me feel what it is to walk in faith.

Ask the questions if you need to. Dialogue. Talk. Where two or three are gathered, the Spirit is there, and you can trust what arises between or amongst you. Then go and live like the key is already in your pocket. Don’t worry or fret. Don’t keep coming back to it. Don’t come up with new ways things might not work out. Don’t let your guts get in a knot thinking about “What if?”

If Brandon in Brandon is worthy of faith, how much more the Creator of the Universe who loves you more than you will ever be able to fathom? The key is already in your pocket. Say Thank You! and live like it.