Cindy Powell

I’m confronted every time I log into my own blog. It’s right there at the top–a declaration of the blog’s purpose …

Simple Faith:  Living life and loving Jesus in the beauty of simplicity.

It sounds good. And, in fact, it is good …

When it’s true.

But often it isn’t.

While that craving for simplicity is a very real part of who I am and a very real core desire–unfortunately it is only a part of what’s true about me.

• There are also parts of me that become hugely distracted with the cares of life.
• There are parts of me that desire more action, more activity, more adventure.
• There are parts of me that forsake the contentment of simplicity and allow life to become too darn frustrating, too tiring, and too complex.

I’ve been feeling those other things a lot lately. Too often. Sometimes I drift so far, I don’t even know how to get back to that simple place of just loving him and allowing him to love me. I don’t know how to get back to that place of keeping the main thing the main thing.

That’s about the time I realize I need help.

So I’ve  been asking for help today.  And Jesus has been faithful to answer. He’s always faithful to answer. He’s always faithful, period. It’s who he is. I know that when I keep my eyes on him.

I’m not completely back in the right frame of heart and mind just yet, but I’m on my way. The great thing about simplicity is that it isn’t a feeling–it’s a choice. Moment by moment, day by day–it’s a choice.

Choosing rightly doesn’t mean choosing perfectly. It doesn’t mean acting perfectly. It doesn’t mean responding perfectly.

It simply means choosing him. Choosing to believe him. Over and over again. Despite my failures. Despite my weakness. Despite my fickleness, my busyness, and my distractedness–I choose him. I choose life. I choose love.

It’s good enough for him.

I’m trying to allow it to be good enough for me, too.

I’m trying to cling to what he always tells me …

That he sees my heart. That he knows my desire. That he believes in the sincerity of my love … more than I do.

And he knows my genuine longing for simple faith that pleases him.

Could it be that believing my weak, imperfect love–and my frail, fickle heart –really do please him …

Could that be simple faith?

I’m thinking maybe the answer is yes.  As I write these words, I’m sitting in the prayer room at IHOP. As soon as I wrote that last question,  Misty Edwards started  singing the following words:

Though I’m dark, you say I’m lovely

Though I’m poor, you say I’m beautiful

Somehow my weak glance has overwhelmed you

Somehow my weak love has stolen away your heart

 

So I guess that’s a yes from heaven. It really isn’t hard to please him. His love really is that amazing.

I think simply believing the profound truth of those astounding words is what simple faith is all about. Not about results. Not about the consistency or purposefulness of my devotion. Not even about my emotions or sentiment. Just simple faith that keeps returning to the reality of an amazing God who simply loves me …

Just as I am.