So this last year has been one of extremes — a ton of highs and lows. Due to several different things going on in life, I have seen myself slip toward increasing frustration and anger toward God. I am disappointed at what seems to be such silence from God and I’m tired of what seems to be months of unanswered prayer.
It’s usually during these times that I feel the call to the mountains, but last summer I was at a point where I did not even want to go there. For me that was a new low!
After the prodding of my wife and the encouragement of others, I headed west. I knew I needed some time to really get things out and to try to get some movement again in my relationship with God. And if there was just more silence…well at least I’d be in the mountains, right?
What I did not expect was Cowboy Church..jpg "cowboy")
I was on my way to one of my favorite spots, Hahns Peak north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I decide to spend the night in Cheyenne, Wyoming. There was maybe one room left in the city and it was right by the arena where Frontier Days was going on. As I got up early Sunday to head out, I saw an invitation to come to Cowboy Church in the arena where the rodeo was held. Cowboy Church was not exactly on my agenda, but for whatever reason I feel compelled to go.
For the third time in a couple of weeks I heard a talk on what faith looks like when times are tough. The guy speaking said it’s easy to have faith when things are rolling but what happens when times gets tough, when life is unfair, when disappointment sets in?
I know. It’s a message we’ve all heard before many times, but it was also I a message I had been running from. I heard him say, faith only happens when we can’t understand, when we can’t see. Faith really happens when we follow Him, even when things make no sense.
Real faith happens when we can’t see.
Truthfully, at that moment I felt like I had been blinded by my emotions, by the disappointment I felt. Then the questions came at me hard and fast: Are these just words, or do I really believe it? Am I in on this faith journey, no matter what?
I still headed to the mountains, because at the time I was not ready to answer that question. But what I didn’t expect was Cowboy Church. God surprised me with that one.
