I am used to feeling pretty competent in almost every situation. I can think clearly, I am well educated, work well with my hands and from time to time even say something that is clear and meaningful. Because of this, and because I truly believe that God can do all things, I had my equally competent daughter create a silver ring that faces me constantly with the single word FROG. FROG is my reminder that as competent as I might feel, there are things that only God can do. For me FROG reminds me to Fully Rely on God, something that the more competent you are, the more difficult it is to do. Yet in our congregation there are many times when I feel absolutely helpless. It means knowing that there is nothing that I can do, only hope and pray and at times that only makes me feel even more helpless. All of us eventually find this point in our lives, it is the proverbial brick wall that so many of us hit and all of us talk about . It is a huge part of what it means to be human and it hurts.

At times the need to act, to do something significant for the people I love just overwhelms me. So last Monday I went down to the office of the American Cancer Society and registered a team for the Cancer walk in June.
I cannot come up with a legitimate treatment for an unusual tumor, a tumor someone in our congregation is struggling with, but I can contribute to someone smarter than I am who can. I can't reach all of the women who need to know how to detect breast cancer early enough to survive, but I can support those who can. I am making this cancer walk, not with a sense of helplessness, but as a form of prayer. I know that as I Fully Rely on God amazing, miraculous things can and will happen. Faith is only faith when we act on it. I am also doing it to support and honor those who are engaged in this desperate struggle in our congregation.

God knows they need our support and our prayers. I do not do this with a sense of futility for I have seen God's grace not only in the lives of those who struggle, but in the lives of those who have died as well. It hurts desperately...but I know that God is good. My faith is weak but God is strong...and I must rely on him, but my heart wishes to be competent, to be strong.
I have a council retreat on the opening day of this walk for life but I know that we as a congregation will be there. For I am learning that in addition to Fully Relying on God I need to fully rely on the body of Christ, the people of faith who surround me. And early Sunday morning I will be walking that track , praying for those who are struggling with cancer, giving thanks for those who are survivors, that God will give them strength. I will be giving thanks for the life and witness of those e who have gone before me. And I will be remember the promise of God, for like Paul"I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come , nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creations, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39)

And I am going to act in faith...
I am going to do something I am going to walk and pray and honor the struggle, just as God honors it. And I ask that you join me.

Information on American Cancer Society
Relay for Life

Pastor Jim Bliss