Have you ever met someone who’s name describes them so perfectly? It’s as if their parents were foreshadowing their destiny with something as simple and meaningful as a name.
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Meet Faith.
Faith is 19 years old and a current resident of Penang, Malaysia. I met her while volunteering at a homeless shelter in her city. She became an immediate friend as we began talking about, you guessed it, her faith.
Due to a series of unfortunate events that transpired after her birth, Faith is not considered a citizen of her own country. She has tried time and time again to receive citizenship but it has been a rather difficult feat. Not having citizenship is one of her biggest set backs in living out her dream as a world missionary. Without citizenship, she cannot have a passport. Without a passport, she cannot travel. She is stuck and will soon reach a point where she could be asked to leave the country.
As Faith was explaining her struggles to me I became overwhelmed with sadness. What a rough place to be, waking up everyday with that stress hanging over her shoulders and to only be 19? I imagined she must also be stressed, sad, and frustrated.
I couldn’t have been more wrong as Faith began to tell me story after story of how the Lord prevailed in her life. Her emotional, physical and spiritual needs had always been met as she kept her eyes focused on the Lord. Here I was easily frustrated in the small things and yet there she was, filled with joy as she explained her much more difficult struggles. What an immense amount of Faith she must have.
We spent the day together, sharing our faith from a perspective of thankfulness. Every time I would see her after that she would jump with excitement and hug me tightly. She is a sweet reminder of what it looks like to live in the promises of the Lord. When we said our goodbyes she looked at me and said confidently that she would be visiting the states one day and do you know what? I believed her, not because she had facts to back it up but because she. had. faith.
I look at scripture and I see that the Lord spent a lot of time changing the names of the people who followed him closely. I have had this explained in many different ways but the one thing that remains consistent is that our names matter. I am Alex but who am I in Jesus? When I allow Christ to be the Webster dictionary for “Alex”, I am described as his. In him, my imperfections vanish and my best self is exposed.
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