Light, Love, Hope

Faith

What is it?
Some folks would say “Faith is the belief in a higher power” Well I’m not so sure. Faith to me is the belief in the human spirit the human soul so to speak, I was raised a Roman Catholic and as a kid growing up. I attended church every Sunday, even was an alter boy. Events of my adult life brought me not only to question my faith but the church as well. Being raised by a Roman Catholic father and a Native American mother. I had the benefits of both worlds and both cultures. I saw the hypocrisy of the catholic churches. Where people strived to advance themselves through the hierarchy of the church administration. I saw the love of family and community of my Native family. The phrase “its not what you have but what you have to give” was a oft used phrase in my childhood home. Losing my mother at the age of 12 left my native teaching undone and had to rely on “extended family” to fill in the pieces of the puzzle of that part of my heritage. Losing my father at 20, a man that was more then just a father to me but also my best friend. That lose started my journey of education. I’ve spent many hours sitting in classroom learning philosophy and theology and many other “ologies” What i took out of all that learning was that the human spirit the belief in the love of another. The faith you place in the hands of another. Is where the strength of mankind lies. You can call “it: what you will God, Jehovah, Buddha, Allah. The theme is all the same.

To whom do we turn to when life throws a curve ball at us, knocks us down. Do we turn to God in our times of need. Is it then when we are at our weakest that we turn our faces and voices to the heavens? In some of my darkest hours of life. Times that I had deep feelings that I was not going to see my next birthday. It was the power of love from those that cared for me that fed me strength. That gave me the jolt of energy to fight back. In my work as a Respiratory Therapist and Nurse Practitioner over the years, i have seen things that many people would never wish to see. I favorite saying of mine is “there are things you can not unsee” I have sat at the bedside of very young children and seen the wonderment in there eyes even as they face an illness of injury that they may not survive. Through that I have watched parents, brothers, sisters even hospital staff showing the love and strength that (to me) was a catalyst in the recovery.

Faith, Faith in the love of another. I believe you can not have love without faith. You can however have faith without love. Many people will hide behind faith and use that as a way to attempt to absolve themselves of wrong doing by going to church. The faith, the absolution is not in a building. It’s within the hearts of those we love and that love us. It’s their “faith” in us that will carry us through. God, Allah or Jehovah resides within each of us. Lakotah people call him “Wakan Tanka” which means “Great Spirit”. Those teachings were passed on for generations of “community first”, family above all. Never betraying that faith put in by another. The feeling of a loved one gazing at you, the feeling of the hand of a child in yours. Their “faith” in you that you will protect and guide them. As I continue forward in life. Feeling indebted to those in my life that gave my strength to over come. Knowing I am expected to so the same for them in their times of need. If I don’t then I betray the faith they have in me. I don’t turn to the heavens to ask for strength. I turn inward. I turn the the spirit that dwells within me. Asking for strength, wisdom and guidance. Faith…faith in the love that is a gift. Faith in those that love you. They will hold you when you are weakest. They will fight the battle you may be too weak to fight. As I was told many years ago by my own spirit guide (yes I do have one) “Believe in me, for I believe in you” Faith is not in a book, a building or on a Internet web page. It resides deep with each of us. Feel it, touch it listen to it. It speaks to all of us. “Believe in me, for I believe in you”