By G.C. Stoppel
About the time Pat and I married, new neighbors moved next to our home, and in no time Pat and Sylvia became close friends.
Pat had worked in the fur department at Marshall Field’s in Chicago. Sylvia was across the street at Carson, Pirie and Scott as head buyer for women’s fashions.
Now the challenge was that Sylvia and Scott had always lived in high-rise apartments in Chicago, and this was the first time they lived in a home.
When time came for their lawn to be mowed, Scott was busy watching the Cubs, so when I saw Sylvia struggling to start the mower, I walked over to their house. She was a bit miffed and accused me of not having any faith in her because she was a woman from the city.
She dutifully checked the oil several times, put in the gas and pulled on the cord. Eventually the engine coughed and began to purr like a good Briggs and Stratton should. With that, she stuck out her tongue and said, “Oh ye of little faith.”
About an hour later, exhausted, she came to our front door and asked me to look at the lawn, lamenting, “It isn’t a bit shorter than when I started.” I walked over, turned the lawn mower on its side and said that she needed a blade, adding, “All the faith in the world won’t cut the grass without a blade.”
It made me wonder why Mother wore what the women of her church circle called a faith necklace: a glass or acrylic ball with a mustard seed in the middle. It was a reminder that if they just had faith they could move mountains. Or mow the lawn without a blade.
But faith doesn’t work that way. It is not some sort of magic, or rituals, sacrifices and muttering secret words to accomplish something.
How many times have we been like the disciples, asking, even demanding that Jesus and God increase our faith. We think if They would do that, we could deal with this serious challenge. If we had an extra dollop of faith, we could face that troublesome person, health problems or anything else. We don’t have enough faith; give us a second big helping, please.
But that’s not how it works either.
During the 1930s Dust Bowl, folks in Oklahoma were in rough straits. The nation had slid into the Great Depression and now, to make matters worse, there was a drought and strong winds.
The folks, at least those who had not gone to California, in one rural town decided to forget denominational barriers and have a united prayer service to ask God to please send rain. They gathered, the area clergy took turns preaching, leading singing, stomping, shouting and praying. And nothing happened..
Then one of them spotted a small boy holding an umbrella. Of all the people there that night, he was the only one who put faith into action. If the olds were going to pray for rain, he was going to be prepared.
The boy understood: Faith also requires action.
Because Good Shepherd Church in Allegan is close to the library, sometimes I see families crossing the street to get to the building. Sometimes it is a parent, but far more often a child who reaches up to hold hands with someone they trust.
The street is empty of cars and danger minimal, but they still reach up to take their parent’s hand.
This handholding isn’t some talisman or magic. It is faith. Mother or father will protect me and I will get safely to the other sidewalk. That is faith in action.
Pat and I went with friends to Prague a few years ago. It was a big, rowdy city, almost always filled with young men from England known as lager louts who come over on cheap air flights for a naughty weekend.
I don’t do well with big crowds for long. A friend called and told Pat when you get there and you’re in a crowd, or crossing St Charles Bridge, take his arm. It will ground him.
Pat did and it worked quite well. I admit I enjoyed having a beautiful woman on my arm, but just that light touch was enough to keep me in one piece. Nothing magical, no placebo effect, just faith.
To grow in faith requires three related attributes. The first is creativity. Before the hand can make anything, the mind must see it.
Philosopher Napoleon Hill wrote“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the hand of man can achieve.” Creativity is the first step, but everything fails if it is all in the brain heart.
The second attribute is motivation. What motivates you to do anything? Figure it out. Is it a story that you want to create and share with others? Is it making money? Power? The desire to live up to your potential? Decide for yourself.
The third is self-discipline to get started and do the thing, consistently and to the best of your ability.
Years ago Dick Cavett was interviewing Sylvia Beach, the American-born owner of the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris in the years between the first and second world war.
They talked about the well-known writers and artists, but then when Cavett asked if there were others, this little bird of a woman answered, “Oh yes, but they never did anything. They talked about painting or writing, but all they did was drink wine and talk. They never did anything.”
During World War II, Chinese American woman, Hazel Ying Lee trained to be a WASP — an Air Force Auxiliary whose job it was to fly everything from lightweight trainers to fighter planes to heavy bombers from the factor to the air bases in the States.
One day she was ferrying a Mosquito fighter when it developed engine trouble over Kansas and she had to land in a farm field. It wasn’t long before the locals came up to help.
That is, until she took off her flying helmet and they took one look at her, convinced that the Japanese had invaded beautiful downtown Kansas. The farmers grabbed their pitchforks, crow bars, ax handles and anything they could find to make sure she did not escape or signal others. But she stayed calm, explained she was helping the American war effort and was not an enemy.
Again, that is faith in action, faith in herself and in her fellow countrymen. And it worked.
Jesus said I have come so that you might have life abundantly. Faith put into action is how we thank and honor Him as we live abundantly and joyously. The equation is simple: If you have faith in someone or something, take action.
