I guess that’s sort of a trick question. Maybe a better question is how do you live faith? Either way, the answer for me is something one of my pastors said … often: Faith is spelled r-i-s-k.

Since May 1, when I became Interim Director of the Pregnancy Center, the board and I have been on a “faith walk” to find out what the Lord’s plan was for the center.

It seemed pretty clear we would have to close unless our financial picture improved substantially, and while closing was not at all what we wanted, we had to hold that out as an option … everything has a time and season in the Lord’s plan and the Pregnancy Center might have served it’s purpose from His perspective.

We prayed a lot and had a couple executive session board meetings trying to “get a bead on” God’s plan.

We thought we needed to k-n-o-w what He wanted us to do, but we couldn’t come up with a “fleece” to use like Gideon had (cool story — Judges 6:36-40).

It seems He wanted us to t-r-u-s-t that He would show us as we went along day by day, and b-e-l-i-e-v-e that He loved and cared for the people we serve so His plan would include ways for them to have what they need.

We did know a few things — that the Baby Bottle fundraiser was coming up, and the Summer Walk-a-thon, so in a sense, I guess they became our fleece … if we didn’t get enough financial support from both of those to catch up on everything and have enough monthly regular support coming in to cover current expenses, we figured the Lord’s plan would be to close the Center.

We would know for sure by the end of July when Walk sponsorship funds came in.

So, we began the two-month w-a-i-t. Not a sit-and-wait, but an active wait. We continued to p-r-a-y and r-e-a-d the Bible, sharing verses that were especially meaningful to each of us.

We recruited volunteers, rearranged furniture, reorganized the Practical Needs room, started the printer cartridge recycling program …and I had a lot to study and learn about being the director of a Pregnancy Center.

Baby bottles started coming in shortly after people took them, and by the end of June, we realized, much to our surprise, the Lord had already provided the funds we needed to catch up on everything.

Regular monthly support from churches and community members has been steadily increasing and is almost where we need it to be to cover all our regular expenses.

I was accepted as the “official” director of the Pregnancy Center at the June board meeting.

In faith, we will keep the center open and carry on the work we do here in Craig. Our faith still has an element of r-i-s-k (things can change in a heartbeat) but our faith is in the person of Jesus, not in fundraisers or donations, and He has shown Himself to be consistently faithful to those who believe, from Bible times to today.

Hebrews 11:1 begins a chapter about people who walked by faith: “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (New English Translation)

At the center, we spell faith h-o-p-e and l-o-v-e and c-o-n-f-i-d-e-n-c-e in the One who called us to this work because He is faithful —Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 5:24).