Whose faith is it anyways?

You'll be glad to know I'm just one chapter away from finishing "Within A Yard of Hell" and will move onto new topics soon ;)

That being said, this part of the story caused me to take a step back and look at the role my faith has in the redemption of the women we reach out to..."She had tried to believe that God would deliver Ronald in answer to her prayers, but if it was impossible for Ronald to have an experience of God now*... The clear, expressive voice of Sister Gemmel broke gently in on her grief. 'But my dear, who says it is impossible? Jesus said that with God all things are possible...' Joyce's attention was arrested. 'I'm so sorry my dear, you feel it all so hopeless. I promise you it isn't, though I know its hard for you to realize it at the moment. You are right in what you believe. As I told your husband, the new life in Christ Jesus is the only permanent release to the alcoholic. You and I both believe that. We know it's true, so we must hold on for him. After all, when the four men brought their friend to Jesus and let him down through the roof, it was their faith the Lord marvelled at--we do not read that the man himself had any faith."

So often I pray for the faith of these women to be great that they might be free when perhaps I should have been praying for my own faith to increase on their behalf. The faith to believe that God is able and wiling to pull them out of the depths and draw them unconditionally unto Himself, into the fullness of His grace and mercy.

Lord, I ask that you would increase my faith, that I would "really believe all things are possible with God-with no 'buts'"

*joyce had been told by a Christian Psychologist that her husband would be unable to experience God as an alcholic and she began to believe her....praise God she was wrong.