A still small voice
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6 ESV)
I grew up in a Christian family, but at 13 I became an atheist. When I was 18, I left my hometown of Rio with a backpack and set off to see the world. I visited the British Isles, then crossed the Channel and took a bus overland to India, through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. I learned that Arabic speakers use the same expression, As-salamu alaykum—the peace of God be with you—for hello and goodbye.
Once in a little town in Afghanistan, I heard a boy singing a beautiful song in his father’s tailor shop. When I asked what he was singing, he said, “The Koran, of course.” When I arrived in Goa, I stayed with a group of French young people who would sit in their hut and spend hours silently contemplating a lit candle on the table.
I remember thinking, There must be a God. Everywhere I go, people are seeking Him. Soon I found my Christian roots again and became a missionary, and that’s when I began learning what having faith really meant.
In my experience, as you pass the tests of life one by one, you will find that faith beckons you onwards. It keeps you going when setbacks and discouragement scream that you should give up. It’s a still small voice that tells you in the midst of turmoil that everything is going to be all right. Faith grows through the challenges we overcome day by day. [1]
Prayer: Dear Jesus, Sometimes I feel broken, even shattered, stunned by life’s events and challenges. I’m so glad You came into this world to save us. I receive You as God’s Son, my Savior, and ask You to make me whole again.
[1] Activated Beckoning Me Onwards
