Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what do not see." Hebrews 11:1

When I was nine I was “hunting” in the woods behind my Maw’s house.   Maw and Grandpa had about 40 acres behind their home which Grandpa used to grow potatoes and pigs.    And I; I had just gotten a new BB gun.   So of course I went hunting.   

It was fairly early in the morning.  I had gotten up with Grandpa to dig some potatoes.   Once we had finished a few rows he told me to go on and play with that BB gun I had been going on about.   So there I was.   I was huntin’ ‘wabbit’.   (So you’ll probably have to be over 40 to get that one.) 

I had been practicing the day before with a bunch of cans.   I figured out that if I aimed about six feet over the top and four feet to the left that I could curve the BB around to actually hit a can.   (BB guns of old never shot straight.)   In fact I was getting pretty good at it except for the errant BB which curved right instead of left.   

So as I was walking all crouched over looking left and right all of a sudden two rabbits popped up out of nowhere.    They looked at me and I looked at them and they took off running.   Instinctively I pulled up my BB gun and let fly.    And for some unexplained reason the rabbit to the right went rolling.   (I was shooting at the one on the left.)  

At first I raised my arms in the air and screamed “YES!”  Come on.   Shooting a running rabbit at ten paces with a BB gun that shot BB’s like a boomerang was quite an achievement for a nine year-old.    After doing the happy dance I turned back to get the rabbit to go show my Grandpa how great a hunter I was when I stopped cold.   

The rabbit was sitting up.   

It was staring me down. 

I’m sure all the rabbit’s buddies were over in the bush giggling and saying “Ha. Ha.   I can’t believe you got hit by a BB!”   Making rabbit faces and stuff.    This rabbit.   It just looked mad.    

So I stared at it for what seemed like an hour.   I decided to slowly cock my gun again.  Just in case it was a rabid wabbit.  

It shook its head a couple of times and slowly turned, giving me one last stink eye, and slowly hopped off.    I went running back to Grandpa to tell him all about it.   

When I told him I had shot a rabbit he just gave me a “Grandpa” look and said, “Son.  Where’s your rabbit?”   

OK so I didn’t have it.  But that wasn’t the point.   I had actually hit it.  While it was running no less.   He just shook his head slowly and said, “Let’s just keep this one between us.”   

For Grandpa, seeing was believing.   If you couldn’t touch it, boil it or eat it, he had no use for stories about how you didn’t get it.    

Too often in life we get too caught up in telling the story about the one that got away that we forget to others the important thing is what you have to show.    We bluster and blow and spin yarns that Faulkner himself would be proud of but forget that what really matters in life is what our stories illustrate to those listening.    

Faith is a lot like that.   I can tell you story after story about faith.    I can point to lives that have been transformed by faith.   I can give you examples of how faith brought people through dark times and gave joy to those who persevere.   But, asking me to show you faith is another matter entirely.    

Sometimes, the best stories can only be taken in good faith.   

Let us pray. 

Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to You this day in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We come, not as strangers or foreigners, but we're Your children and You're our Father. We thank You today for Your faithfulness and Your mercy and grace. You're always there when we need You. You've never turned us away and You've never failed us. You've never failed to fulfill Your promises to us and to Your world. In our troubles and trials and when the road seemed long, You've been right there with us and You've helped us through, and we give You thanks and praise today.  In Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.