Feet For My Faith

My name is Tom Young and I am the husband of Cyndy, who is a faithful servant of God, and the father of Isaac and Olivia. I have been working as a forester for a private timber company for the last 20 years. More important than all of that is the fact that I have been a born again Christian since the summer of 1976. It was at that time that I began my walk with Jesus where He has always been faithful but I have had a few growing pains.

Most recently I have been studying the book of Genesis. I am amazed at the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These men were willing to move repeatedly as God directed in order to draw closer to Him. They had their growing pains just like me, yet they were men of faith, as recorded in Hebrews 11. Abraham did not always know where he was going (Heb. 11:8-10) yet his faith increased.

My friend Lenny says, "you can't steer a parked car", just like the men of Genesis we need to be willing to move. This faith that we have cannot sit on the shelf but rather it needs to have feet.

Beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaim peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaim salvation, who says to Zion,

"Your God reigns!"

~ Isaiah 52:7

I feel the Lord is calling us as Christians to tell this good news to the person across the street as well as around the world. We are also to pursue love (I Cor. 14:1). In Matthew 2 the story is told of Herod trying to kill the baby Jesus and the world is continuing to do that to this day. The baby Jesus was the greatest symbol of love (I John 4:8), humility, honor and truth. The same is true of the children of Uganda.

Pure and undefiled religion before God is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

~James 1:27

We, as Christians being called to pursue love, should draw near to Jesus (James 4:8) and pursue that love in visiting these children.

I was traveling through the woods the other day with my dog Chewy, a yellow Labrador retriever, and she was enjoying the wind blowing her ears back, her tongue hanging out, when suddenly a squirrel crossed our path. Chewy's casual posture was suddenly focused on pursuing that squirrel. It is what she lives for. The same is true for the Christian. We are to pursue love.

When I was given the opportunity to go to Uganda it was a perfect fit. Not that I am the best qualified to care for children or build a building. Not that I am looking forward to many hours in an airplane. I don't know really where we are going or how I can do what is needed. What really matters is that we pursue an awesome and loving God who loves the children of Uganda. I know without a doubt at this moment I am to pursue this love; to talk to the people of Uganda and to love the children. My verse for the trip is:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

~Matthew 5:16