The Flash Drive of Faith

A simple incident this week with my husband, a flash drive and a moment of frustration helped me understand the importance of faith.

It was like this. Our desktop computer is situated in a hard to reach corner of Rob’s office. I needed to plug my flash drive into the USB port on the back of the hard drive tower. It’s a long awkward reach to feel around blindly and plug it in and I was getting frustrated when it wasn’t working.

So, Rob offered to help. It made sense because he’s very, very tall so his reach is better. The only problem being that Rob was not convinced there was an open USB port available. In fact, the more he fumbled, dropped the flash drive, retrieved it, fumbled, dropped the flash drive, retrieved it and fumbled, the more he came to believe that the open port did not exist. He couldn’t see it. He couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t reach it. It must not be there.

And he wouldn’t believe me that it existed. I had used it just recently. By some happy chance of eye-hand coordination, just days earlier I had utilized the USB port for the very same flash drive. Unable to find it or reach it himself, Rob gave up the search and discouraged me from making any further attempts but there was one difference between us – I knew it was there.

Five more minutes of blind fumbling and I was doubting my own experience, was about to give up the search and admit defeat when click – the flash drive slipped into the port and I was able to complete my task. A window opened on the monitor and I was connected.

Hence, my lesson in faith. Rob is taller than I am with a much better reach. His computer savvy is far superior to mine but he was unable to find the port and I was able to because of a singular difference – I believed it was there.

The writer of Hebrews says “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Hebrews 11: 1-3)

Do you struggle to believe? Do you not want to accept the validity of my experience (as my husband was reluctant to do with the flash drive)? Do you search for God but find yourself frustrated and fumbling? Paul says this about faith: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

So, read the word of God for yourself. Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Ask for ears to hear. Ask for the gift of faith. And then read God’s letter to you written in the books of Matthew or Mark or Luke or John. John, ahhh, John is my favorite. Start there.

Why is it that others have searched and made the connection while you still fumble in the dark? They believed God was there to find. And that faith opened a window for them, a window to heaven and to all manner of light and truth.

It seems counter-intuitive but ask the God you do not believe in for the faith to believe He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Because He does. And faith is a gift He can give you.

And faith is not a one-time need – faith is required to find God and to walk with God every day. Even when we know Him and love Him, there are days when we fumble to find the connection we know is there.

We, the great fumblers of faith, invite you to join us as we connect to the source of all power. You can be a fumbler of faith, too.