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What Is Lacking In Your Faith

              Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. (I Thessalonians 3:10)

It would be easy to see this one as a negative thing. Paul wanted to get back to the Thessalonians to supply what’s lacking in their faith, to fix what they’ve broken, to rub their noses in their failure and whip them into shape. Not a happy idea.

Now look at it from another perspective. I know lots of people in the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Florida have places have been damaged or destroyed by Helene and Milton. Imagine a group of people showing up with tarps for roofs, lumber, screws and drill/drivers, and the knowledge of how to help repair the damage done by the world.

Back in the fall of 2020, when I went to my park, I knew the Canadians wouldn’t be able to get there to take care of their places, so I started weeding gardens. I didn’t think, “Oh those horrible Canadians, why can’t they keep their places up?” If I can demonstrate the second perspective in my own life, why can’t I see others as having the second perspective when I’m the one they’re coming to help?

Part of it is pride. Probably most of it is pride. I can’t remember who suggested it (that I heard it) but someone suggested it would do each of us good to ask for help at least once per day. And when we ask, we should do so expecting the people we ask to be happy to supply what is lacking in our lives, part of which will be faith.

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