I exited the dentist at noon on Monday with only half my face working, and having been instructed not to eat, drink or rinse for an hour. So I had some time to kill before lunch was possible. Next door was a barber, not my usual, but I thought I would get a haircut to pass the time.
Through the half of my mouth that was working, drooling slightly, I tried to explain my usual haircut to the barber, who was Jordanian with a fairly limited grasp of English, being a recent immigrant. So I guess with our impaired communication, the haircut was a small step of faith into the unknown. Of course, I take my glasses off for a haircut so I couldn't really see what he was doing anyway, adding to the mystery. Happily, in the end it worked out well. I learned also the man maintained a barbershop back in Jordan, run by a trusted friend. Another exercise of faith.
The writer to the Hebrews teaches that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb 11:1) Take a moment to think about how many things you trust will happen or come to pass without knowing the outcome for sure. I trusted a Jordanian barber without being able to communicate clearly or even see what he was doing.
How much more can we trust God in Jesus Christ with the unknown things in our life? We can do so, but let's not pretend all is plain sailing. I've been listening to people's stories of struggle recently, and many are dealing with difficult stuff. The three Ds I'm working through this week with family and friends; death, disappointment and dementia. But by faith I trust God is with me and those I care about as we journey together.
The writer to the Hebrews exhorts; "...let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:1-2) Friends we can't see the end of the story but we can trust God with our small steps of faith. Persevere. Kia kaha.