Celebrating the Church In Africa Cross Platform Access Mc.Rufus Interactive Coat Of Many Colours Africa
Cardinal Sarah cautions against disunity among Christians, says it’s counter-witnessing | Pope Francis erects new diocese, names bishop in West African country of Guinea | Mozambican Bishops say peace cannot survive in the face of social injustices. | Bell rings out from Catholic cathedral in Mosul for the first time since ISIS occupation | Pope Francis prays for Turkey after deadly Istanbul bombing |

A Leap Of Faith
by Steve O. Alabi

Fear is powerful, but faith persists.
Fear says, “why try?” but faith says, “why not?”.
Fear builds walls, but faith builds bridges.

Most of us are afraid of heading into the unknown, of uncertainty, of unfamiliarity, of not knowing what’s going to happen. We are scared that things could go wrong, that things will be uncomfortable, and that things might not go as expected.

Taking a leap of faith and throwing yourself into the unknown can be very rewarding. It means that you fully surrender to all expectations that you and others have ever had of yourself.

All of the greatest things in life require a leap of faith. It’s called a leap of faith for a reason. But what is faith exactly?
Faith is the belief in something larger, grander and more powerful than you. Faith is the belief that you cannot fail, you can only learn. Faith is the belief that you’re always being guided by God.

I took my leap recently and will like to share the experience with you.
My wife and I planned a trip to Nigeria earlier this year, with all the necessary arrangements done and concluded. It was scheduled to be a two-week trip. Alas, we were shocked to find that everything went unglued. It became a two-and-a-half-month trip. Everything that could go wrong went wrong at the worst moment during the trip. In all these, the presence of God was very evident.

Funds we were sure would come for us to execute the project never came. It was a period of total disappointment and uncertainty. We had daily expenses to meet without having any plan or hope of earnings during the trip. We kept on praying and believing that a miracle would happen. In the midst of all these, the “great provider” was working overtime on our case. It was tough and unshakeable faith!

By Divine Providence, all our needs were met and more. As a matter of fact, it was in thick of these problems that a long-time friend donated a sum of money that was equal to half of the expected funds we so relied upon to go on the trip.

Immediately after the donation was received, even documentations we had been processing for over three months were concluded in less than an hour by someone we never planned to contact or ask for assistance. It all looked like the situation was now being run on auto-pilot. It was God at the control panel and our leap of faith was gaining altitude. It really took off.

I like to think of my faith as an interconnected network of tree roots: No matter what storms may come my way, I will remain unshakeable and stand tall; I may bend, but I shall never break; I am grounded yet boundless. And yet, despite all of the strength I garner from my faith, it can still be difficult to accept this truth.

Fear is powerful, but faith persists. Fear says, “why try?” but faith says, “why not?”. Fear builds walls, but faith builds bridges.

A life lived in fear is like a bed of springs: It propels you headfirst toward a sliding glass door. But a life lived in faith is like a pile of pillows there waiting at the other end. No matter how many times you leap, you’ll always land softly.

No matter how many times you doubt your greatness, you’ll be sure to bounce back.
No matter how many times you trip up in fear, your faith is there to pull you back up with a hug.

<< | Back to main page

This Edition

Front Page

So soon…It’s Lent Again

Having Ash Wednesday begin so soon again in February makes it difficult for me to understand. I usually accept the fact that I must just roll with it. Ready or not, Lent is here and I will accept that and keep on doing the best I can!
Cover Choice

A Lenten Prayer: Restore Us As A Culture of Life

All of us live much of our lives with an interior struggle. On the one hand, each of us is born with an ache for “something more.” We all have a natural longing for happiness, but we can’t be happy alone.
Our Faith

The Heavy Burdens We Carry »

I have been thinking a great deal about my experience at Reconciliation this past Saturday. I felt an intense and unexplainable urge to go and confess my sins when I woke up that morning. I try to go every six weeks or so, but this was no routine visit to the priest for me. I needed to unburden myself of the numerous venial sins I had committed since I last participated in this Sacrament.

More Articles: Our Faith


Catholic Living

Purest Gold: God's Refining Fire in our Lives »

After salvation, many young Christians wonder if there's anything more to their newfound faith than just the security blanket of "being a Christian." Time and time again, God shows himself as a "refiner," and our lives are as gold. God started leading me in this study to understand what He was doing in my life, as well as in the lives of others.

More Articles: Living

Winning Family

The Phase Out »

Picking up my pen to write this column, I couldn’t imagine how time flies. Since the last publication of this column I have gone through a lot, especially the loss of my dear mother to whom I dedicate this article. Not only her, but seems I lost a whole generation of my close family.

Faith & Business

How to Achieve Business Excellence »

“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before Kings; He will not stand before unknown men.” Proverbs 22:29


Young & Catholic

Spiritual Development for our Youth »

Most of us youth in today's fast moving world are easily thrown off by difficulties and worries.


Tonic For The Soul

Fasting and Mercy »

The theme of conversion is a thread that runs all through Lent, but conversion takes on different aspects throughout the phases of Lent. The first two and a half weeks focused on the interior turning of hearts; the liturgy urges the faithful to reflect and examine consciences thoroughly.


Saint Of The Month

Saint Josephine Bakhita »
Feast Day: February 8
Patron Saint Of: Sudan
Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was a member of the Daju people and her uncle was a tribal chief. Due to her family lineage, she grew up happy and relatively prosperous, saying that as a child, she did not know suffering.



Videos Of The Month


Catholics Must Fast More Intensely This Lent»

The Norbertine Canons of St. Michael's Abbey have created this digital Lenten retreat so that you can journey through this holy season alongside them. If you want to have one of your best Lenten seasons yet, join us in our Lenten Program "The Great Fast" - https://theabbotscircle.com/the-great-fast-join


When Your Faith Is Put to the Test - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon»

Friends, we come now to the Second Sunday of Lent, and we’re on both dangerous and very holy ground with the first reading from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. The ancient Israelites referred to it as the “Akedah,” which means the “binding”: Abraham binds and is ready to sacrifice Isaac at God’s command.


Connect with us:



Image 1 Image 1

Image 1 Image 2

News
Image 1 Image 1


Mc.Rufus Interactive Social Clique...Your Social Media Partners!


Copyright © 2002-2024 THE BEACON INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC MAGAZINE. All rights reserved.
another mc.rufus interactive web design