Juggling the FAITH Ball

This past Sunday, our invincible Children's Time preachers came together to share with the congregation a message about Juggling the Balls of Work, Health, Friends, Family, and Faith. They were impassioned with the Spirit of God, speaking with clarity, energy, and focus. Although they said disparagingly that it was disjointed, disorganized, and unrehearsed, I could tell the Spirit was speaking through them with clear messages for us, the people in the pews, to reflect upon. The following is an excerpt of what Brenda shared about juggling the ball of faith.

We have heard how important Work, Family, Friends, and Health are, but when all things fail or fall apart, what can we cling to? For me my FAITH in God has helped me through a few disasters in my life. God is in the midst of our storms as he was in 1989 when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit. God was with 5 yr. old Jelli as she hid under a table at a friend’s house, and with Matthew alone under the public library tables, and Micheline bouncing up and down in the van after her violin lesson and with Jenise at her piano lesson when I heard the Bay Bridge collapsed. Somehow faith helped me know that all would be ok even though my kids were scattered all over Castro Valley.

When I thought I would die earlier this year when I heard I had a spot in my lung, health was a major issue. Xray after xray showed the same spot. Thoughts raced through my head, I can’t die now, who’s going to take care of my mom and Vince…they’re helpless! Many prayers were said and faith somehow gave me strength to face each day. I trusted God to know what was best for me. If my life were to end now, he would provide for my family. I was ready to accept God’s will even if it meant I would die. Then the CT scan came back and the spot was just scar tissue. All my fears and heaviness lifted.

Even though I have faith in God to be my refuge and strength, I still worry about things like my 95 yr. old mom, my kids, future grandkids maybe someday, growing old, my upcoming cruise and if I would be safe or in danger xxxxxxxx etc.and drop the ball, but the Bible says in Ps. 145:13 The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Our faith may be weak at times, but God’s isn’t. His faithfulness continues through all generations as it says in Ps. 119:90. God has given my mom a deep faith which is still in heart, even in her dementia and loss of memory. In each painful and unsteady step she takes and falling twice this week, she is often heard praying, “God please help me.”

This faith ball when dropped lights up. We may drop it and neglect our faith, but the light is like Jesus calling us back, who is our light in darkness, our guiding light when we are lost or confused, giving us hope and growing our faith. Faith is a gift from God which is precious.

As Naomi and Ruth had faith in God after the death of their husbands, to provide food, shelter and protection as they lived in Moab and later traveled back to Bethlehem, we can remember that in our disasters, our faith grows as God carries us through our trials.

- Words from Brenda Wong, "Juggling the Faith Ball". Nov. 8, 2009