Having an attitude - of faith!

With faith,
All that is dark becomes light, and what is bitter becomes sweet.
Faith transforms ugliness into beauty, and malice into kindness.
Faith is the mother of tenderness, trust, and joy …

There is nothing faith cannot overcome;
It passes beyond all shadows and through the darkest clouds to reach the truth, which it embraces and can never be parted from.
Jean Pierre de Caussade (1675-1751), French priest



It isn't the circumstances a person finds himself in that define whether he will become angrier or kinder, hopeful or despairing. It is the degree of faith he has - or doesn't.

Faith colors our existence. When I see my friends struggle, when I see them rejoice, I know that their journeys are colored by their faith life. Being human, it can be hard to stay strong in our faith when things get hard. Those who have lost faith or don't have it struggle more with problems, in my opinion, because it is just harder for them to have hope. This causes more suffering than for someone who believes.

I was accused today of having an attitude - of faith. Someone said to me "You believe that God will take care of everything!"

For a moment, I didn't say anything. Then I laughed. "Of course God will take care of everything. I do the footwork, that's all."

"Do you really believe that?" he asked.

"I do. What do you believe?"

"I don't know," he replied.

So I guess I have a 'tude. It not only comes from my faith as a cradle Catholic but also from my experiences living that faith through good times and hard times. When I say I believe, I know. When I say it out loud, I'm happy to have it repeated back to me.

Why would I deny a 'tude of faith?

Can I explain it to everyone? No, I know not everyone will understand. I can try to live it and share about it with people who are open to that however. I'm not going to sit on this gift I have which I believe is given through God's grace. I didn't "earn" my faith. Which makes all of it an even more amazing gift.

What a great fortune it is to own faith! I can't lose it - unless I choose to . No one can take it away - unless I allow that to happen. Nor can it be diminished without my say-so.

I can choose to nurture my faith. I can practice it and grow it up. I can share it. I can take it everywhere with me.

So why would I not have a 'tude about this wonderful, amazing, universally applicable gift from God?