Faith

FAITH OF LITTLE MARY

Joseph H. Dean 

The father, a well digger, strong was he,

And as loving and kind as a father could be.

And Mary, his daughter, five years old,

Was very much dearer than millions of gold.

To Mary her father was big, grand, and nice,

So each had a treasure, beyond any price.

                  One day to the well, little Mary was sent,

                  To take daddy’s lunch, how gladly she went.

                  But when she looked down, not a thing could be seen,

                  The well, like a pocket, was dark as could be.

                  The father saw Mary and heard her voice, too,

                  But made not a sound, just to see what she’d do.

She dropped to her knees, the dear little soul,

And called down, “Oh, Daddy, are you down in this hole?”

“Why, yes, Mary darling, I’m here at your feet,

Just drop my lunch for I’m ready to eat.

Just let it go easy, I’ll catch it alright.”

She did, and she saw it fall out of sight.

                  “Why     Mary,” said father, “there’s enough here for two,

                  Now this is the thing I would like you to do.

                 You jump down here to me, and we’ll eat it together,

                 Down here in the cool, and away from the weather.”

                  “Oh. Daddy, I’m afraid, I can’t see you at all,

                 Be sure now you catch me, and don’t let me fall.”

‘Twas just for a moment she wavered in doubt,

Then closing her dear little eyes she jumped out.

In the darkness, yes, that was the test,

She trusted in faith in her father’s request.

And both were so happy he kissed her and smiled,

Because of the sweet trusting faith of his child.

            “Oh, sweet little Mary, you put me to shame,

            How often my Father has called me the same.

            But because it was dark, I turned back in doubt,

Refusing the call, though his arms were stretched out.”

THE POWER OF FAITH

My father was a traveling salesman. One time, he sold furniture,

Another time hardware, sometimes leather goods. He changed his line every year. I would hear him tell my mother that it was his last trip in stationery or in bed lamps or in whatever he was selling at the moment.

Next year, everything would be different. We would be on easy street for he now had a product that sold itself. It was always the same.

He was always tense, always afraid of himself, always whistling in the dark. My poor father never had a product that sold. Lovable man that he was inept and full of mistakes.

Then one day, a fellow salesman gave my father a copy of a three-sentence prayer. He was told to repeat this prayer just before calling on a customer. My father, who believed in the Lord, tried it, and the results were wonderful.

This is the prayer:

                 

“I believe I am always divinely guided.

I believe I will always be led to take the right turn in the road.

I believe that God will always make a way where there is no way.”- Norman Vincent Peale –

FAITH IS NOT BELIEVING THAT GOD CAN’T.

IT IS KNOWING THAT HE WILL.

 OUR FAITH HIS POWER

This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn’t exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.

For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.

On the last day of every semester, the professor would say to his class of 300 students, “If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up” In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, “Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can’t do it.” And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. The students wouldn’t do anything but stop and stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn’t exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for twenty years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But, for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith…he hoped.

Finally, the day came. The professor said, “If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!” As the freshman stood up at the back of the classroom, the professor and the class of 300 students looked at him, shocked. The professor shouted, You FOOL!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!” He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe.

As the chalk hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The professor’s jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood proceeded to walk to the front of the room where he shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. Three hundred students stayed and listened as he told of God’s love for them and of His power through Jesus.