The Courage That Follows in the Footsteps of Belief

It takes no ordinary man or woman to appreciate the short distance of our life’s journey. We live our lives according to what society deems as “successful paths” for us to take. I have no quarrels with that. It is to some the only way known to them on how to live, and all to often there is the age-old saying “there is no manual on life”.

Not true I say. There is a manual. At least in my case that manual: my faith. It is what keeps me grounded when there is almost no ground left to stand on. It is the words that resound in my conscience when I felt like all hope was lost to me. My trails and tribulations thus far have granted me this insight. Walking down this path of life is nothing short of treacherous, and to walk that path alone is terrifying. Faith is like walking down a dark path in the woods at night. When the wolf’s howl and the darkness creeps in… Faith is the friend who ran to catch up to you to keep you company with a lantern. It is the only thing that cannot disappoint. It is an idea, a concept, a thought, and it is us who give up on faith not the other way around. The idea instilled in people no matter the age, race, or sex.  If the only thing that man has: it’s hope and hope is the essence of faith. The idea that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. That there will be a paradise for them in this life or the next. But, in order to fully appreciate that faith you must walk through the darkness where faiths enemy lurks. That enemy is: fear.

There are demons in this world, and most of them reside within our own psyche. I believe we are too afraid of this world and what’s in it to put our faith and trust into someone or something else. The lack of faith manifests itself into a negative idea that we are alone and without aid. This is where man faces his most difficult challenge: can we do it on our own? Do we rely on just our strength alone?

The answer is no. Quite simply because we as single entities are weak. Not by choice of course, but just by virtue of BEING human. The ancient Romans had a similar notion to this. This idea was called ‘Fasces”. Essentially it was a bundle of sticks wound together and at the center was an axe. A single twig could be broken and discarded, but add more sticks and they cannot be broken. And from the center of the sticks and their unity lies the axe. This is the idea I want you to associate with the word faith. By placing your faith into something greater than yourself YOU NO LONGER STAND ALONE. You are part of the whole and no longer can be easily broken.

I felt I had been broken once. By the difficulties I faced, the depression, and the isolation I felt were crushing. But, somehow somewhere along that dark path I found my faith. It picked me up from the quick sand I had allowed myself to sink into. A helping hand is what faith is. It gives purpose and meaning to a life that sometimes feels like too much to bear. I share in your struggles much like your friends and family. Allow yourself to believe in something greater than yourself. Do not be afraid of those who scoff or spit at you for your belief. You have already become a champion for your strength and virtue if that is true for you.

While there may be no manual for life there is something better. Your faith.