My favorite “F” word

Yeah, that is one of them, but it is not my absolute favorite… As I sit here, I realize I have many favorite words that begin with the letter “F”. Today I’m going to talk about Faith…

Faith is many things to many people depending on your spiritual self, but it boils down to the same thing, belief, trust and hope in something you have not seen but can feel from the depths of your soul. I have deep faith, it is something that has evolved and grown throughout the years. But that doesn’t mean I am exempt from moments of doubt. Believing in something that you can not see, that at times cannot be put into words seems odd to some people… but I’ve never really worried about what some people think.

I went for a hike the other morning, joined up with a group of new friends, I am making a lot of new friends these past few years on this journey to good health I have embarked on, but I digress. When I hike, I try to find a balance of a good pace, that will work up a sweat and get my heart pumping, with enough focus to see the small things along the way so that the beauty is not lost on me.. there is genuinely always a point or several along the way with the spectacular view and we many times rush to get there, but I have learned and experienced the precious moments and God Winks along the way. But, there are times I miss those if I am not looking.

On my hike the other morning, I had a lot on my mind, I was worried about loved ones, as I drove I was having a conversation with God, praying for hope and healing, wrestling with feeling so joyful in the midst of the chaos, seemingly gliding along relatively unscathed in a year of sorrow and pain for so many.

I arrived at my destination and headed to meet the others, shoving the thoughts aside focused on the task at hand. Never having hiked here before I was relying on information shared by others about the difficulty level, getting my mindset right for a challenge. Turns out the level of difficulty for me, was low, I was focused I was moving a long, the group separated slightly, I found a kindred spirit, we were in rhythm in steps and conversation and I was rather easily climbing and scaling. And then I had that aha moment and I stopped in my tracks and said to myself, I think, I may have said it out loud.. I haven’t been looking for hearts.

When I hike, I look for hearts in nature, random rocks and stones and sometimes even in the etchings on the trees as signs of faith, hope and love. Within a few steps, the first heart revealed itself to me. While I had been really enjoying the hike up until this point, the spiritual aspect had not been present, well that’s not true, it was present, I was not allowing myself to feel it.

As the walk progressed more and more hearts jumped out in front of me and I began to share my search and discovery with my hiking mates.

When I stood at the base of the mountain, ready to take that first step, I was carrying some guilt and concern. I am happy and joyful and others are suffering, when I came back down that mountain, I was reminded of my purpose. I have been given a gift of finding the light and the joy and the hope and it is my responsibility to share that light and cast it out so that others may feel the warmth and glow. John 8:12 has always spoken to me, it warms me body and soul.

As I finish my thoughts, Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord is playing in my earbuds.. The eyes of my HEART, through the hearts you place in front of me, I will keep searching and sharing in the hope that others too may find their own path to Faith.

Have a blessed day. Namaste.