Certainty, are you convinced?

Certainty, are you convinced?

Eileen Renders

Certainty is defined as meaning a firm conviction. The meaning and concept triggered thoughts in me about what I am certain of today. Can any of us be certain we will be given another tomorrow? Are we certain that we won’t lose our jobs, our livelihood? Are we likely candidates for a massive flood, drowning, or losing our homes? Cancer takes the lives of many thousands of good people year after year, and without a cure, for reclaim their future. Are we next to succumb to this deadly disease?

We all seek a future, a conviction that we will have the opportunity to raise our children, enjoy our grandchildren, and leave an indelible mark that we were here and did our best to touch others positively. Without any affirmations that we can accomplish any of our dreams or goals, what keeps us going?

The bottom line is, “What is there that each of us can hold onto to sustain our courage and tolerance to keep moving forward?

After deep reflection, we know that there is something we can hold onto, to count on, and believe in. Although it is not tangible, naked to the eye, that is why it is called faith. God, our creator, is real and Almighty. He has power over the world and every living creature. Faith is what moves us. Without faith, we are truly lost. When we feel our burdens are too heavy for us to bear alone, we call on God, we pray for a miracle, and we place all our trust in Him.

When God does not answer our prayers, we trust it is not because He doesn’t love us. When doctors have no cure to offer us, it may be time to follow Christ’s example as He was dying on the Cross in saying, “Father, into thy hands, I commit My Spirit.”  All that we can be certain of in this world is that our Creator loves each one of us and wants our love in return. Our lives were never meant to be everlasting. He hopes that we will choose Him over the world and place our trust in Him. Some of us believe the amount of time, love, and trust we give to Him in this world is a direct association with how God determines a place for us in heaven.

For example, I know of a young mother who bore a baby boy, many, many years ago, even before heart surgery or abortion was legal. Because her rheumatic fever had ruined her heart, doctors offered her an abortion to save her life, as they told her, “Mary, we can do a legal abortion to save your life.” Mary replied, “No, my baby will live.” She bore her baby, a son named Georgie. Soon afterward, she was spitting up blood, as her heart was giving out. In the hospital, she lay dying in her bed. A woman in a bed beside her said, “Mary, aren’t you afraid to die?” Mary replied, “No, God can have me if He wants me.”

Mary was an example of faith, trust, and unselfish love