Have a little (lack of) faith...

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about a problem, a serious problem, that had just come up with her family.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, thinking she would rattle off a list of things that she could do to get to the bottom of the situation. There were, after all, several good, plausible solutions.

"I'm just going to let God handle it," she said.

When she said that it made me a little angry. Why, I don't know. I'm just such a doer, and such a problem-solver. I want to fix things. How could she just sit by and "let God handle it?"

Yes, I know, how ridiculous of me.

That conversation just highlighted for me another one of those areas of faith where I find myself completely lost and confused.

Is it "God helps those who help themselves?"

Or...

Is it "Let go and let God?"

I admit, I don't "be still and listen" very well. Maybe if I did I would be better able to hear Him tell me what to do. I suppose I generally include asking God for help on my to-do list when I have a problem, but I check that one off after I've already got my "real" solution started... You know, like when you pray for God to heal your child as you're driving him to the hospital.

But what is the answer? If we just have faith, will God just fix it? Does "helping ourselves" indicate a lack of faith? If I just starting listening better would I understand?

I believe God knows everything that has and will happen for eternity and beyond. I know that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I know that crappy things happen sometimes, but that God can work through us to turn all bad things to good.

What I don't know is how this really works here in real life... In my life.

Maybe one day I'll get all this stuff figured out...

But for right now I still fall dreadfully short.