Be it a child’s game, a health challenge, the state of the country, or, everything in between; the faith factor is always being activated, even in the darkest moments, when there seems to be no answer.
The childhood game, Hide-and-Seek, was a favorite of mine. I was super confident that I would always find my playmates in their favorite hiding places; or that they would tag the goal while I was still searching. This faith based on my previous experiences of playing the game was my assurance of success. When the game ended, I was summoned to come inside for the day and prepare for tomorrow.
Fast forward with me to the early part of 2002. I was feeling very low; lower than I had felt in a long time. Arriving home that day, I parked the car and hurried into my apartment. I had a lot on my mind, so I was glad my new friends, the shy little girl and her mom who lived in the adjacent building, were not there to greet me as usual. I was not in the mood for pleasantries.
Once inside, I began to process the diagnosis the doctor had given me. Fear of the unknown flooded my mind. I was alone with my thoughts, feelings, confusion, and grief when suddenly there was a loud knock at my front door. Very unusual.
It was my young neighbor standing there, her eyes filled with fear, crying, “my daughter, my daughter, I can’t find her. Help me.” In that very moment, I forgot what I was thinking about. Quickly I put my shoes on again and frantically I followed the young woman out of the door, asking “What’s your daughter’s name?” As we ran in opposite directions in search of the child, she shouted back to me, “Her name is Faith.”
For the next 15 minutes, I ran throughout the complex, shouting: “Faith, Faith, where are you? The young mom and I met again at our starting point. There she was. We both saw her at the same time, this whimsical, mystical being called Faith. She showed her face from the walkway of her building. It was if her shy smile was saying, “I love this game of hide-and-seek.”
I returned to my apartment and laughed out loud as I reflected on my search for Faith. Now, reunited with my core beliefs, the energy completely shifted. All anxiety was gone. The mesmeric spell of downward gazing was broken. I am summoned to that secret place within myself and I began preparing for tomorrow.
This search for the child-like faith of my youth reminds me “that as I deal with my own individuality, I am dealing with the Universal, which has projected out of Itself that which is like itself on a miniature scale.” 1
Anchored in a consciousness of Light, I know the nature of God is changeless, the Word of God is Law, deeply embedded in the substance of Wholeness, Oneness, Peace, Harmony, Love, and Wisdom; all that is indestructible, absolute, and self-existent. 2
While I do not ignore the cross-currents of division that appear in the world, I listen deeply to that still small voice that guides me into the unifying force that is irresistible and must yield a world that works for everyone. My unwavering faith is in the Indwelling Presence as I am motivated to seek and find the way.
1. SOM, 165.1
2. https://stillpointcsl.org/what-we-believe/
I elect to stand still, go within, and know the way.
By Keith D. Childers
Celebration of Life Service
in loving memory of
Judy Hilley
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta
2650 N Druid Hills Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30329
Visitation: 11:00 AM
Service: 12:00 Noon
Refreshments and Fellowship following the Service
StillPoint 