FAITH

We’ve had engine trouble,  not funny when you are on a fast flowing river Thames. To suddenly find yourself without power,  hearing the engine cough into life only to have it die repeatedly.  It was quite a simple fix as it happens – a dirty fuel filter.  We hadn’t suspected that as the filter had been changed relatively recently.  Of course the logic is,  that if a filter gets clogged with dirty particles from the diesel tank,  the diesel is not going to flow freely and so the engine will falter through lack of fuel.  As we continued on our way I couldn’t quite believe that by just replacing the filter all would be well.  The next few days of cruising I was on constant alert, listening for any changes in the sound of the engine that might herald a further problem.  My utter faith in its dependability had been eroded.  In truth I expect I shall now always be slightly wary of the possibility of engine failure happening at any time,  which may be a good thing,  as complacency can lead to carelessness.  Ensuring we regularly check the engine and all its components,  keeping them in good working order,  is essential to peace of mind.  True, things happen that you have little control over,  but basic engine care  may limit malfunctions, with an awareness of the quality of one’s diesel and the cleanliness of the tank it is in, all aiding the smooth running of one’s boat. It isn’t something I thought much about until I had to!

Likening God as the engine to life, it is easy to see why the knocks and bumps we receive may lessen our faith in his existence.  If we think about him at all. When life is running smoothly and we feel in control, why would we need God, especially if all our physical and material needs are met. Yet many of us would acknowledge we have a spiritual side that also needs nurturing. It’s all to easy to blame God when life is pear shaped or as a result of a disaster, proclaiming that no one would believe in a higher power that allows bad things to happen.  Personally, I have always felt that God is not Father Christmas – awful things can happen just as easily to those who believe in him as those who do not.  However,  the knowledge that God is willing to walk with me through  the ups and downs of life,  the twists and turns,  is what gives me the strength to continue on,  even in the darkest of times.  Faith is continuing to believe he is there when our life is faltering,  just like the diesel engine. A bereavement,  redundancy,  illness – all these things can knock us back and like the blocked fuel filter,  they can prevent the love of God seeping through our being,  thus robbing us of light, hope and joy.  Just as a diesel engine requires regular servicing,  so our faith needs topping up by constant communication (prayer) with God, keeping our eyes and ears alert for his presence.  Taking time to reflect on the outcome of events, happening either to ourselves or to others, and to ask the question, where is God?   Sometimes, he’s in the helping hand that comes along at just the right moment,  the smile from a stranger that brightens a day.  The listening ear that makes a problem shared become a problem halved.  God turns up unexpectedly in the feet and hands of those around us, or even supernaturally in angelic form.  Faith is journeying on,  trusting and believing that the engine will not fail us.