Wasted Faith: A Poem

Wasted Faith

Faith is not wasted

     when God tells us no,

In night prayers and pleas

      when tears like rivers flow.

 

When loved ones die

     and our pain increases

In our prayers for health

     death breaks hope in pieces.

 

What then can be done

      when the tragedies loom,

When friends are hurting,

     those loved laid in the tomb.

 

Prayers all raised to God

      hope’s oil poured on the brow.

Yet they sink in death

      the question is “Why now?”

 

We are left with tears,

      over taking sorrow

And we ask our God

     where is the tomorrow.

 

We remember faith

     and it seems all in vain.

Through the prayers and cries

     we still have all the pain.

 

But faith’s not empty

     when it is placed in God.

When prayers are answered

     or if the prayers are not.

 

Faith is not wasted,

     though He answers us not.

He does all things right.

     We must let loved ones go.

 

God’s plan is perfect

     and we can enter in,

When we pray and walk;

      but unbelief is sin.

 

Prayer makes no demands

     on the Great Holy One.

It is surrender

      until His will is done.

 

So, don’t be afraid

      to pray in faith again,

‘Til we meet them then,

      our loved ones in Heaven.

 

For they are not dead;

      they are simply asleep.

They and we, in Christ

      our eternal faith keep.

 

By Andrew Grosjean

www.pastorandrew.ws

I wrote this for Valentino Mendez and his family when he passed away. I had prayed very fervently that he would recover of his illness, but he did not. I had placed my faith in God and believed that he would recover. When he did not, I had a crisis of faith. But I thought that he would be healed. I thought that it was within God's will. And yet he did not get better. He was gone to Heaven.

I asked God why. He told me, "Tino is better." In fact he was. He was not healed the way that I wanted or expected, but in that he was free from his pain he was healed. In that he was free from every earthly temptation and trial, he was more healed than any of us left behind. God showed me that my faith was not wasted.

Mrs. Mendez (pictured above) is still in the mission work that she and Brother Tino started in Texas.  She and her family continue to do an amazing labor for the Lord.

You can visit Pastor Lawrence Mendez's church web site:  Open Door Baptist Church

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