Faith Works

Held Together By Faith

I remember hearing about faith in Sunday School as a child but neverquite grasping the true meaning of the word. It wasn’t until I found myself faced with a difficult season in my life, that I began to seek a higher power. I was searching for guidance, hoping my prayers were being heard, having faith that they were. Truth be told, I believed in God, but I had not yet established a close relationship with him.

The situation was this; I was going through a divorce, raising two young children, and living far from family, I felt profoundly alone, these are the moments when you search your soul and look within, hoping to find the answers you need.

  I recall, flipping through the local newspaper on a Saturday morning and spotting an advisement for a psychic who read tea leaves. I felt compelled to immediately dial the number on the ad.  An older lady answered the phone and introduced herself as Naomi. We spoke briefly, and I scheduled a visit; my world was crumbling, any guidance she could offer felt invaluable.

The next day I was off on a new adventure filled with hope.  It was a thirty-minute drive to her home, giving me time to think, could she give guidance about what direction to take? I felt completely lost and was hoping Namoi would provide answers. As I pulled up to the house and checked the address I noticed the statue of the Virgin Mary in her front yard. Walking toward the entrance I saw a cross above the door. With a sigh of relief, I knocked.  To my delight, I was greeted with a warm smile, like a mother welcomes her daughter.  Naomi had sparkling eyes, and snow-white hair pulled neatly into a bun, I felt an instant connection with her. I quickly realized that she was a religious woman with a connection to God.

She invited me to sit down at the kitchen table and politely offered me a cup of tea. I said, “Yes please and began to tell my story.   I explained I was a working mother caring for two small children, while living with what is now often described as a narcissistic husband. I told her he wasn’t a bad person—he just drank too much, and he became violent when I stood up for myself. Naomi reminded me of my worth and helped restore my confidence. She assured me that God hears our prayers and encouraged me to have faith that I was being divinely guided. She explained that having faith in something you cannot see can be difficult, but when you do believe that you have a loving spirit of light watching over you, miracles occur. She saw good things for me coming down the road which gave me the belief needed to keep going.

Naomi explained that when you have faith in God, it’s a knowing within your heart and soul that you are taken care of.  She mentioned that the birds, plants and animals all have faith in God and in the power of the universe to provide for their needs. She suggested I establish my own connection with the divine.

I thanked Naomi for her hospitality and guidance and felt I had made a wonderful new connection. She handed me a small package as I was heading out the door. “Just a little something to remind you of our conversation”, she said. I accepted the gift and thanked her.

 Upon arriving home, I sat down at my kitchen table and unwrapped the small package that Naomi had given me. Curious, I wondered what treasure I would find inside.  To my surprise, the package contained a small porcelain statue of a young maiden with yellow braids, wearing a green dress and a white apron. Etched at the base of the statue were the words “Faith Works.”

I strategically placed her on my kitchen windowsill to remind myself to remain strong and to have faith in God.

What I want you to know is that when I truly believed that God was orchestrating everything for my highest good, everything began to fall into place. When I finally let go and held faith in my heart and soul- trusting that God had my back, that was when miracles occurred.

What I came to understand is that faith is believing in something you cannot see, it is trusting that a higher power is watching over you and guiding you toward your best and highest good.  Our father in heaven loves all of his children. Here is a scripture from the Holy Bible that address’s faith;

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews XI:1

Faith is not an easy thing to hold onto when your world is crumbling. People often say, “Everything will be ok, just have a little faith” and while it sounds comforting, you can’t help but think, that’s easy to say when you’re not standing in my shoes.   

I will admit it has taken me some time to believe. Faith came through practice-by choosing to believe again and again. When I face difficult moments in life, I ask the Lord for love and guidance. Faith in God, Spirit, a higher power-whatever name you choose-is ultimately about the relationship that invites light and love into your heart.  

It has been thirty years since Naomi gave me the porcelain statue. Naomi is with me now in spirit. The statue of the maiden has traveled with me throughout the years, moving from home to home and resting on several kitchen windowsills. She has endured being knocked from the sill, collecting a few chips and spots of glue along the way, yet she remains there to this day, a quiet but my constant reminder to remain faithful.

-A true story By Nancy Yearout