On my journey of embracing my legacy and pursuing my purpose instead of taking the “safe” route, faith has been the rock that I thought I stood on until recently. For the past few months, I have been forced to walk by faith in a way that I have never been challenged to before and it got me to thinking. Prior to this season of my life where challenges were not as “challenging” for lack of a better word, I believed that I “walked by faith” until it hit me that I really wasn’t because you really will not know what faith is until it’s all that you have to stand on. When life throws its curveballs, this is when the true testimony of walking by faith will reach its climax.
It’s easy to tell others to have faith and walk by faith and not by sight, but when it is your turn to do so, it may not be as easy. I am firm believer that I am serving God and serving others in my journey as an entrepreneur and “midwife to your legacy,” but I have yet to experience a time in my life where I literally had nothing else to stand on but faith.
Walking my faith is not always a pretty sight. There are moments in your life where your faith will be challenged and tested but it’s for you to grow. I am a believer in God of the Bible and Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior but this is not about me trying to preach the gospel to you, this is about living in honor and submission to your calling even when your faith is being tested to the point that your faith is no longer rock solid faith, but struggling faith.
You’re trying to pay your bills and the money isn’t there. You’re trying to make a vision come to pass but the resources are not there and nowhere to be found in sight. You’re biological clock is ticking and your future husband hasn’t even come close to showing up. You’re hoping that your loved one will be healed of whatever illness that he or she is battling but the doctor’s reports are getting worse. You want to quit your job to pursue your dreams but your fears are only getting louder.
These situations are just a few of the myriad ways that walking by faith can look like.
Oftentimes, we can be misled to believe that walking by faith will guarantee only seasons of abundance. Or better yet we think that we are the only ones who struggle with faith when challenges arise. I am here to tell you differently. You will not know what faith really is until it is all that you have to stand on. Walking by faith will not always be easy and it will look crazy at times. You may even be ridiculed by others when doing so but you have to be willing to endure the process of success if you want to experience the benefits of the outcome. I want you to keep the faith in spite of whatever you may be going through because getting through this time will prepare you to get through life’s next storm.
If your faith is currently being tested, please know that you are not alone! I am in that same boat too, walking on water, trying to keep my eyes focused on God’s power and not my own. I too have doubted, struggled with faith and even thought about giving up several times but there is something on the inside of me that will not allow me to do it. I am walking by faith even when no one around me thinks that I am making the wise decision to do so, however, I know now that I am walking truly by faith. So trust me when I say that I know how challenging walking by faith can be but we have to be willing to do it so that our faith can be strengthened and we can be able to tell others “I’ve been there before.”
So how have I been getting through it? Like this:
- Take it one day at a time. Allow tomorrow to worry about itself and focus on today. Even if you need to take it one hour at a time, then do so.
- Let go. Stop trying to figure it all out. Focus on doing your best and allowing God to do the rest; once you let things go that is usually when the magic unfolds. And magic has been happening by the way that I cannot wait to share!
- Stay focused on the end result by getting a mental picture. I try to focus on how life will be after the storm is over after I have received the deliverance; that keeps me going.
- Keep an attitude of gratitude. Instead of focusing on what you do not have, focus on what you do have.
- Change the plan. If the goal isn’t manifesting the way that you thought that it would, don’t change the goal; change the strategy to get there.
Walking my faith may have it’s challenges, but just because things may not be working out does not mean that things aren’t going the way that they are supposed to. Embrace that for a moment and please know that you are not alone. Remember that faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Faith AND patience will obtain the promise in the end. Remain faithful, patient and grateful 🙂
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy