Only Believe

 

I met God one morning, my soul feeling bad
Heart heavy laden, I had a bowed down head

Well, He lifted all my burdens
Yeah, right now I'm feeling glad
All things are possible, 
 If you'll only believe."

If only belief happened with the desire to believe! Rather, why is it easier for me to believe bad things will happen with clockwork precision?   I read Mark 11: 24 aloud today for what seems like the millionth time, but purposefully inserted "I" and "me" for the third person singular pronoun.  Then I read it again and again and still again.  Hmm.

The lightbulb in my brain glared like a klieg light! I felt like Professor Higgins (My Fair Lady) as he exulted about Eliza, the Cockney girl-protege, "She's got it! By God, she's got it!"  I declared, "I'll do it! I'll believe" I do believe!" And like my Evangelist friend advised years ago, "Say it! Say it! Say it! Until you see it! See it! See it!"

Inwardly, though, I dug in my heels, secured them to an "I've made up my mind" anchor, grit my teeth, and retorted, "NO! (Yes in big grammar school capital letters!) Yet the skirmish raged on.  

"It couldn't be that easy! It could not be!" 

But what if she's right? 

Then again, what if she isn't right? 

Sounds too simplistic, too easy.  If it's that easy, anybody could just say it, and abracadabra,  there it'd be!  Still, what's the harm in testing it for a day, two, or seven, tops? Hmm.

It'd just be a colossal waste of time, energy, and effort,  Why not invest in something more feasible,  with more metrics and dividends? 

But what if? Just what if? She's been right before, you know.

Well, you're fine with giving a week, a full week, to a wild goose chase, more power to ya!

With a modicum of uncertainty (if not plain disbelief), I murmured. I'll say Mark 11: 24 aloud when I wake up for seven days and share my findings.  I'll even "Treat and move my feet," or "Believe while I'm praying."  We'll see what happens.

The eighth day recorded me screaming, "It works! It works! It started working on the second day! I couldn't believe it but I've been living it! I'm still living it! "Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire! (as Little Richard used to trill!

Slow down! Slow your roll! I need to hear a blow-by-blow description!

Alright! Well, Day One seemed uneventful until... When I finished some hours later, she grudgingly said, "Well, maybe, maybe."I tell you what, Girlfriend, just try it yourself for seven days and, watch out! If it hits you---genuine, test-proof belief---like a ton of bricks, don't say I didn't warn you.  

"I believe, yeah I believe
All things are possible, if you'll only believe."