1101 faith avenue
Monday, August 7, 2017 at 11:00AM
Julia Holloman in Spiritual Encouragement

One day, almost 10 years ago, I had one of those “ah ha” moments. You know, a moment when you suddenly feel like someone turned on a flood light in a dark room. It was as if I had taken a step upward and was seeing the view from a new and brighter perspective.

I was listening to scripture written to music: the verse written to song was Hebrew 11:8. It reads, "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place, which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going."

It reminded me of a similar scripture CD I was listening to some years ago, I was probably on diet number one thousand one hundred and one. At the time, I was standing on the promise that someday I would surely inherit a “promised land” of my own. I was not only praying for weight loss but total restoration of my health and body, it didn’t seem possible in the natural. 

Faith is stepping into the unknown, to see beyond where we are. Even though I was still working on my weight loss efforts, I really didn’t see how it could ever be possible, but it didn’t keep me from dreaming.

God called Abraham into a place he would inherit in the future, but until then, verse 9 tells us that he lived in the land of promise, as a foreigner dwelling in tents. He dwelled in tents, which is temporary, but he was “dwelling” there never-the-less.

Abraham had a bigger picture in mind than what he could see in the natural. He had a bigger vision, one he couldn’t see, except with the eyes of faith. He wasn’t about to take up residence in a permanent manner because verse 10 tells us what was really on Abraham’s mind—he was looking for more than a place to put down a tent peg, he was looking for something much more grand and a great deal more permanent, a city built by God himself.

When I made the decision to have weight loss surgery I had no idea where it would take me. I did, however, have a slender hope that this might lead me to the restoration I was dreaming of. And so it has…somewhere along the way, I had to adopt the mindset that I could rightfully occupy this “promised land”. I had to pitch a tent, and hammer down the stakes until I could receive the full reward, looking forward, while moving into a more permanent fulfillment of the dream. I started by allowing myself to dream and God turned my "little faith" into reality. Faith is knowing that the "title deed" is already in your name, even before you receive it.  

Let’s look for something much bigger than just making temporary changes; lets occupy a place of permanence.Total restoration, health, and longevity that bring lasting rewards and changes that we can pass down from one generation to another. Weight loss surgery, my continued commitment to success, and my faith in God’s promises, have allowed me to dwell at a new address: 1101 Faith Avenue. Welcome to the neighborhood.  

Faith is knowing that the "title deed" is already in your name, even before you receive it.

Hebrews: 11:1 NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. Amplified Bible 

Article originally appeared on Miles To Go - Weight Loss Surgery Blog - Gastric Bypass (http://milestogo.squarespace.com/).
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