"Faith is the Victory" by Jim Noel

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

I believe that our faith is tested throughout our spiritual pilgrimage.  For me, these tests of faith are intertwined with my prayer life. 

I take a brisk walk nearly every day - something that I started doing following my heart attack in 2010.  I occasionally cross paths with other walkers with enough frequency that we start to go beyond the simple 'Good morning' greeting.  One of these walkers was Donald, whom I had been encountering for several years.  We had gotten to the stage where we stopped for a couple of minutes and he would tell me about his cancer and I would listen and try to get a word in but wasn't sure he really heard me - but that was ok.  I knew he lived alone and, to the best of my knowledge, had no family in the area. 

I added Donald to my prayer list and told him I was praying for him.  The last time I saw Donald was in the spring.  He told me that his doctors were in disbelief that he was still out walking but that they had ordered hospice for him.  He wasn't sure why but he was going to keep on walking.  I told him I was praying for him and I received a "Thank you' from him.  I knew his numbered days were drawing to a close and so I started carrying a piece of paper with my phone number to hand to him the next time I saw him so he could call me if he needed something.  The trouble is I never saw him again.  I kept praying for him but didn't really know how long I should keep praying.  I kept asking God to let me know.  One morning, I decided I would do a Google search for an obituary.  At the top of the screen, I had my answer - Donald had passed away 2 weeks earlier.  He was 81 years old. 

I wondered if / how my prayers might have made a difference for him.  A question that will never be answered in this life.

You see, I often have this question when I pray for the unknown recipient of a siren that I hear in the distance when I am on our deck. I have this question when I pray for families caught in the tragedy of a mass murder or a collapsing building.  I have this question when I pray for Kim Jong-un.

I believe that the answer is that we are called upon to be faithful and leave the outcome to God.  It is that "assurance of what we do not see" as the verse states that moves me to continue.
 

From a favorite hymn:

Faith is the victory!

Faith is the victory!

O glorious victory,

That overcomes the world.

I hope you will continue praying for those things with unknown answers where God's Word and your faith in the unseen will overcome the world.