Cover Story
Keeping the faith when all seems lost
With life's struggles can come a deeper understanding of God and ourselves.
By Kelly Epperson
ROCKFORD WOMAN
Apr 25, 2008 @ 12:00 AM
People talk about faith like it’s something we can see or hold. They say, “Don’t lose faith” as if it’s as easily lost and found as car keys. When going through painful experiences, faith can become a slippery slope or a solid rock on which to cling. Faith is personal yet universal.
These women shared how they’ve discovered that the love of God and of others gets them through what one calls life’s “valleys.”
Joy Stuber Alsop, 25-year-old pastoral intern at Christ Lutheran Church in Belvidere, maintains that the fact we get through hard times is a testament to God working in our lives. Some may assume clergy members have a special hot line to God, but Alsop says she can feel overwhelmed by life’s obstacles and burdens.
“Seminary is a rewarding but challenging journey, and my faith has grown because of the struggles,” she says. “Reminding myself that I’m not doing this alone, that God is with me, carries me through.”
“I’ve learned to cherish my ‘valley’ moments,” says Shelly Gaudry, 41, Loves Park, member of First Free Church, “because that’s when God has revealed his nature and love to me in the most incredible ways. If life had been a picnic, I would’ve missed out on the most awesome God moments I’ve experienced.”
Murl Hill, 61, of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Rockford says, “Painful times challenge my faith, and I examine myself socially and spiritually. My faith is strengthened by being very prayerful, reading God’s word, meditating, keeping active and positive, being patient, and believing that the promises of God will bring me through the situation.”
Mary Larson, 84, Pecatonica, of First Lutheran Church believes women often feel it’s “more blessed to give than receive” but that it’s necessary to be on the receiving end when facing life’s trials. “We bless others when we allow them to help us. It’s important to be able to ask for help and to accept it when it’s offered. The support of other women in times of challenges and mourning deepens my faith in God’s love. He works through other people to lighten loads.”
Dorothee McAuliffe, 41, converted to Catholicism in 2001 and belongs to St. Mary’s in Durand. “When faced with challenges, the knowledge of this rock-solid foundation of the Catholic faith absolutely helps in matters of stability. My faith teaches that no matter what, we will triumph in the end because of Jesus.”
Phyllis Peterson, 66, Machesney Park, member of the Baha’i Faith, says the death of her mother was extremely painful.
She knows that the only way she was able to get through the profound bereavement was in how she handles every challenge: “I don’t let myself think about it; I pray about it.”
Things you can do and read ...
One basic step is to heed the advice of others who have been through it and come out on the other side. A great resource can be the local library or bookstore. Lemstone Books, 5866 E. State St., Rockford, suggests “The Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel and perusing the gift book section. The bookstore’s Web site, lemstone.com, recommends “The Daily Walk Bible,” published in September 2007 by Tyndale House Publishers. That book includes insights, overviews and daily devotions to help you put it to use in daily life. Tyndale House also offers a 50-page booklet, “The Book of Hope,” which is intended to introduce seekers to “Biblical truths — joy, peace, the power of prayer, and the promise of eternal life.” It is available for 99 cents at lemstone.com.
... Advice from Rockford women:
“I surround myself with positive and joyful people. To get through painful times, you must think positive, know who you are, believe in yourself, love yourself, stay very prayerful and stay active.”
— Murl Hill
“A challenge actually comes into our lives so that it can go on through. That is the purpose, it happens, but the hurt does not last forever. We may experience the pain, but ‘this too shall pass.’ ”
— Phyllis Peterson, quoting inventor, innovator, and author R. Buckminster Fuller. Peterson adds that the best advice is daily prayer. “Don’t let worry occupy your thoughts. If you find yourself dwelling on a problem, stop thinking about it and start praying about it,” she says.
“All people are beloved children of God, and God does not abandon God’s children.”
— Joy Alsop
... Advice from Reformers Unanimous, a faith-based addiction treatment program:
Dan Black, the local director of Reformers Unanimous, says that when people come to the group, they are often at a point where they feel they have lost their faith. The very act of going to a meeting is a positive first step. People in the program, equally male and female, are taught that hiding from their problems is not the answer. God is indeed real, and those who seek will in fact find. The first steps to healing and mending include seeking a personal relationship with God through basic Bible teaching and prayer.
Everybody in the program, even beginners, is shown how to reach out to others who are hurting in the belief that helping others is one of the best ways to help ourselves. Serving, even if just passing out pamphlets, is a means of offering hope to others.
Reformers Unanimous maintains that the greatest step anyone can take in life is accepting the Bible as the truth. The group meets at North Love Baptist Church, 5301 E. Riverside Drive, Loves Park, every Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sundays at 9:35 a.m.
— Advice from the nondenominational River Valley Community Church:
The church’s Web site offers practical tips, as simple as A-B-C, to begin a relationship with God and becoming a Christian: A. Admit you have sinned; B. Believe that Jesus is the son of God; C. Commit your life to him. River Valley is at 5439 E. State St., Rockford, and its tag line is “No experience necessary.” The church is geared to be a place where people who are curious about church can check it out and feel comfortable. For more information, see rivervalleyrockford.org.
... Advice from the poet Longfellow:
“Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall.”
— from “The Rainy Day”
