In September of 2015, I received news that my best friend had given birth to her baby girl, Faith. This quickly took a tragic turn when after living for 18 days, Baby Faith was called home by our heavenly father on October 13, 2015. What do you or can you say to a mother, that after carrying her child for nine months, has now lost her child? I debated sending a scripture, a card or a song but none of these things I felt would truly provide my friend with the peace she needed to endure this extremely difficult time. I didn't want to ponder too long because it was important for my friend to know how much I cared and how truly saddened I was by this news. My best friend and I had somewhat grown in different directions in life, but no matter what, whenever one needed the other we've always been there. I picked up the phone and called Shay and was a little taken back to hear the confidence in her voice. She shared with me the complications Baby Faith faced and told me she was at peace that her baby would no longer suffer. She further went on to explain how in the 9 months of carrying Faith, how much inspiration Faith had provided her and no matter what Shay had come up against during that time, Faith always gave her a reason to keep pushing. In retelling this story, it only reminds me of how ungrateful we can be and how we often take life for granted. I found it truly amazing that despite loosing a life that lived inside of her for 9 WHOLE months, Shay was not defeated and was still determined to stay steadfast in the will and love of God.
I decided to do just a little research of what the definition and the meaning of the name Faith.
Definition: Faith- the belief that is not based on proof (dictionary.com)
Name Meaning: Confidence, Trust & Belief
Recall in my story I mentioned that upon calling my best friend, to my surprise her tone was confident... It's funny that in looking up the meaning of the name Faith the first word was "Confidence". Many of us are not able to be confident when everything around us has validated our insecurity, doubt and fear. If we are honest with ourselves, in a situation like the one my best friend was faced with, I'm almost certain I probably would've lost all hope. But isn't it funny how God works.... So I had no idea that in this time in my life I would be taking my journey to a blog platform nor was I aware that my best friend had decided to celebrate her daughters upcoming birthday by engaging in 24 Days of Faith... If you've been reading my past blogs, I mentioned God's timing in a previous blog and I also stated that God's timing is always so much better then ours. In a time where I've felt the most vulnerable and unsure, God is able to remind me of Baby Faith and not just for me, but whoever is reading this. Though her time here seems minimal to us, her mission is still unfolding right her right now. For those of us looking for that push, or that reason to go on, well my best friend gave me permission to provide you with Baby Faith. In the midst of any hard time, we have to train and cultivate a mind that is driven by FAITH & HOPE....
I used to think that faith and hope were just feelings, but I recently learned that they are actually ways of living and ways in which the mind works. Similar to fear... the bible says that we WALK BY FAITH, meaning that when I wake up in the morning, so does FAITH; when I walk into the job I constantly complain about and take for granted, so does FAITH; when I walk into the court room before the judge makes his final ruling, so does FAITH; when I open the mail box to that unexpected bill, so does FAITH; when I sit on the examining table waiting for the doctor to deliver my results, so does FAITH; when I drop my child off at school in a world that's plagued by racism and hate, SO DOES FAITH.... I say all this to say, it doesn't matter how you ended up where you are right now. What matters is your decision to operate from a place of FAITH!!For some of us this is difficult when you feel like you have to have everything under control until it all falls down and you're all out of answers. This is what I love about Faith... faith provides us with the wherewithal to know that in spite of what it LOOKS like... what it looks like is only temporary, but that doesn't determine with it will BE!! I encourage each and everyone of you to activate your faith. In times where you are feeling lost, depressed, overwhelmed, tired, sad, suicidal, or any other negative thought that seeks to destroy you... HAVE FAITH!!!
I want to thank my best friend for allowing me to share her story and I hope someone out there was touched.
-Nique
In Memory of Faith Alyse Deloach 09/25/15- 10/13/15
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