Witchvox Article

Author: Kyriea
Posted: November 11th. 2001
Times Viewed: 2,907

In the past faith seemed to be a given. Things are as they are and will always be as they are. There were a few bumps along the faith path but for the most part faith was taken for granted. It was and would always be there in some way, shape or form.

In these last weeks faith has been shaken. Faith has been renewed. Faith has been strengthened. And faith has been challenged. Each person by noon September 11, 2001, in this country, had his or her faith challenged in some way. Some asked where was "God" in all this. Some lost faith and "God" no longer existed for them. For some they found "God" again. No matter who you talked to faith was on the minds and lips of many. Even if they didn't know it. It has become the catch phrase of the moment. A beacon to draw people around a cause. A reason to get up in the morning, to function all day and to sleep at night knowing you will wake up in the morning to do it all over again.

For those who had loved ones missing there was the faith that they would hopefully be found alive. For the men and women at ground zero looking for survivors was the faith that what they were doing would help save a life. For a nation held in a grip of disbelief and terror was the faith that we are strong and would endure. For a world thrown into chaos that it has never seen before is the faith that together, regardless of nationality, color of the skin or religious affiliation we can and will come out of this tragedy stronger and more unified than ever before.

And for this one Pagan, living in Minnesota, expecting a child in late November and raising a 9 year old faith is what I have to get me through the day, week, month, year. I wonder what kind of world I am raising my children in. Is it foolish to bring in more life when the world I am bringing him/her into might be filled with so much death and destruction? Is it selfish to want a bit of peace and harmony in my life and the lives of my family and friends when so many others are suffering? I can not imagine what New York is going through. It may sound horrible, but here in Minnesota most do not know first hand the devastation that Manhattan and the Pentagon know, and for most it is a distant place that something bad happened in. Most families here can not comprehend the gut wrenching loss that those families feel who lost someone to the tragedy on September 11th.

But we all know loss. We have all lost someone to an illness, selfish act or tragedy. We all know the fear of receiving that phone call or a police officer knocking on your door asking if you know Susie or Johnny and that something has "happened". And we all have recovered. What has gotten us through all of these things and so many more? Faith. You can call it many things, the will to live, the power to go on, doing what needs to be done, etc. But it all boils down to faith.

Faith that things will work out. Faith that lives lost will not be in vain. Faith that things will get better. Faith that tomorrow the sun will indeed shine (even if through a few clouds) and that the Earth will still be spinning around that sun in the vastness of the universe.

You do not need to be religious to have faith. Faith does not require someone to teach it to you or tell you how to approach it. There is no doctrine or dogma needed. All faith needs is you. And even though this might sound silly and simplistic, all you need is faith.

There is a phrase I heard once that really changed the way I look at things around me. FAITH MANAGES. That phrase means different things to different people. To me it means things have a reason and it will all work out for the best. It might not be what I think is best but what is best for the larger picture. You have to trust that it will all work out, and surprisingly enough, in my life, it does. Granted, I have my worries and close calls but with my faith I know that given time it will all work out.

To some this sounds like I just through everything up in the air and hope it all falls down in a good way. It's not like that. I work for money to pay my bills, but when the money gets tight I don't panic. I just look up at the universe and say I need a little help and eventually it all works out. That is faith. I do everything I can for myself but once in a while you do need to ask for help and have faith that the help will be there. And it is. Just don't ask for specifics. The universe has a funny way of interpreting that :-).

How you approach faith is a very personal thing. It can be based on your religion, your family, your lifestyle, your history, etc. My grandmother used to say "If you have food in your mouth, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and your loved ones are healthy and happy then you have everything in the world. All the rest is just icing on the cake." As a child it seemed an easy excuse to the "no" I got when I asked for something I wasn't going to get. But as I got older it made more sense.

There have been times in my life when it has been the lifeline keeping me afloat in a very chaotic world. Case in point. My family had lived next to or with my grandparents for most of my young childhood. In 1981 my grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer. My grandmother went to visit him almost every day. In January of 1982 we had a lot of snow in northern Minnesota. Our driveway had been plowed in by the county plows and my grandmother had to walk a 1/4 mile to the road and back so someone could pick her up and take her to the hospital for her visits. Little did we know the toll it would take on her.

In late January 82 my grandmother was visiting my grandfather and collapsed at the hospital. At 10:30 that night she had a major heart attack and by 2:30am she had passed. My brother and I had a very close bond with my grandmother and we both had separate experiences that grandma had come home to tuck us in and tell us everything was ok. She kissed us and told us she loved us. I was 13, my brother was 11. The time on the clock? (and yes I looked because I didn't know why I was being woken at such an early time) 2:30am. The next month in February my grandfather passed away. We knew that was coming but so shortly after my grandmother was devastating for a young kid. I was angry. I didn't know why "God" felt it necessary to take them from me. I wanted them there to see me go on my first date, graduate high school, be there for my wedding. I didn't understand what the purpose for them dying at that point was.

Fast forward to 1985.

My family had moved into the house my grandparents owned after my grandparents had passed. It was Memorial weekend and the weekend my mom turned 40. Many family and friends were coming and going. The following Tuesday everyone had just left the house to do the days business and our water heater, that unbeknownst to us had been leaking gas for over a week, blew up. The house was totaled. If anyone had been in the house at the time they would have died. Since the house used to be my grandparent's house they would have been there at the time of the explosion. In hindsight I am glad they went the way they did, no pain and peaceful. At the time of their deaths, especially my grandmother's, I didn't understand. But through faith I now understand that I will not always understand the way the universe works or why.

But it does work.

Like I said before, you don't need to name the faith, have it based on a religion, have dogma and doctrine dictate it to you, or even have an explanation for it. You can just have faith. Pure and simple faith. The faith of a small child that when they get hurt someone will be there to comfort and care for them. Even for children in abusive and dysfunctional homes the faith is still there. It's just not fulfilled by the people the children have faith in. The faith of a flock of geese that they know come fall they go south and come spring when they go north it will be warm again. Basic, simple, peaceful, freeing faith.

Nothing more, nothing less.

It takes a lot to get to the point where you can have that much faith and it doesn't waver. It took me 30 years. But it has been well worth the education and the wait. And I am learning more and more each day. The best line I have ever heard to describe faith was in a movie favorite of mine, Dogma, written by the writing and directing genius Kevin Smith. Rufus, the 13th apostle, explained that faith is not a belief but an idea. Meaning, that you do not have to BELIEVE in something, like a religion, to have faith. You just need to have an idea that it is there. To believe means you have to believe in SOMETHING. You don't have to believe in anything to have faith. You just need the idea of faith. (I think I explained that right J )

In closing, don't worry about what "faith" you are, just HAVE faith. No matter what, things do work out for the best. We may not know what BEST is at the time (for that matter we may never know) but rest assured it will work out in the end. I have faith that it will.

Blessings, love and peace to all.

Kyriea

ABOUT...

Kyriea

Location: Ramsey, Minnesota

Author's Profile: To learn more about Kyriea - Click HERE

Bio: Kyriea is a solitary Pagan who follows a Celtic path. She has been actively living and practicing her Pagan religious path since 1998 but has had many years of off and on again interest and study. Other interests include: sewing Renaissance costumes and clothes for friends and family, writing and publishing poetry related and unrelated to the Craft, writing essays for The Witches' Voice, spending time with her daughter, boyfriend, family and friends, and soon to be addition of either a daughter or son sometime late November and playing with her 2 cats, Bonnie and Clyde.

Other Articles: Kyriea has posted 17 additional articles- View them?

Other Listings: To view ALL of my listings: Click HERE

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