If you hear the word faith the first things that may pop into your mind is a religion or a strong belief in something or someone. But is it simply a strong belief or is there more to the word that carries a greater weight?

I believe it is an action word.

Years ago  (many years ago), I was planning on getting married to my high school sweetheart. But I didn’t really want to get married without my second best friend, my sister. I had planned for her to be my maid-of-honor. She lived on the other side of the country and since we were both broke I wasn’t sure how I was going to get her a flight. But I got her a dress anyway (believing that somehow it would work out).

It was only a week before the wedding and there was no evidence that she would make it. Honestly I am not sure what I expected. I just knew that she had to be there. I didn’t have anyone to fill her place. And how sad it would be if my best friend, my only sister could not make it.

Now go back with me several decades and remember the days (if you are old enough) when there were no cell phones. If you wanted to make a phone call, the person better be home. And so I called, and I called…no answer. I was frustrated that I couldn’t get through.  In the midst of my despair I heard my mother quickly opening the door. She was out of breath. I tried to calm her down to hear what she had to say.

“We got your sister a ticket,” she finally got out between breaths. Apparently some friends had decided they knew what they were going to give us for our wedding present, a plane ticket. I was ecstatic.

Again I tried to call my sister. Again, no answer. Where was she? Why wouldn’t she answer? She had been waiting for my phone call for days. I barely hung up the phone  when it began to ring. I snatched it up before the ring was completed..

It was my sister. Her voice sounded forlorn. “I tried, she said, but there was no ticket for me at the airport.”

Apparently she had actually gone from ticket counter to ticket counter, with her suitcase in hand looking for a ticket in her name. She explained to the ticket agents that her father (her Heavenly Father) had purchased a ticket for her, but she wasn’t sure which airline it was on. After not finding it she drove to the closest mini-mart to call me from a payphone and give me the bad news.

I squealed. “But there is a ticket!” I said.

There was a moment of dead air over the phone. Then suddenly I heard a muffled cry and then a laugh and then a squeal of delight. She returned to the airport with a thankful heart and a suitcase packed. Picking up her ticket, the one with HER name printed on it, the one she had been asking the ticket agents about only hours earlier, she climbed aboard the airplane. She arrived the day before my wedding.

All was well.

Her faith in her heavenly Father…her belief that something would happen, was not just  hope. She actually put her faith into action.

You can put action to your faith, as well, and watch miracles happen.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1