It is springtime in Western New York and its arrival was marked by cold winds and yesterday, a snow storm. I found myself in that storm as I made hospital visits and a few meetings. I was amazed just how much snow we received.

Now, I chose to live here and I enjoy winter and its snow, but this year, I am looking forward to warmer days, greener trees and other outdoor activities. Putting gas in the car as the strong winds drove the sleet against my face, and driving along the slush covered roads, I was thinking of what was yet to come. Over and over, I told myself, “I may not see it, but it is spring.” Nothing around me looked like spring, but nevertheless, it was.

As I sat next to the fire in our fireplace at the end of the day, I reflected on how similar the days experiences were to the walk of faith. Driving in the car, facing the inclement weather, it took great faith to believe it was spring. All I had was the date on the calendar, the words of the newscasters and the knowledge of the science that affirms the time of the vernal equinox. I could not base my beliefs upon what I saw. Instead, I had to base them upon what I knew to be true.

The same is true for our walk of faith. Often, our circumstances seem to contradict the things we believe and all we have to base our stance upon is what we can read from the Word of God, what we can hear from those declaring that Word, and what, in the end, we know to be true. Walking in faith is about trust and conviction. We trust God and God’s Word, and we stand upon our convictions believing in the truth even when we cannot see it.

It is easy to base our beliefs and feelings on our experiences, but our experiences can be wrong. Think of the number of time you were convinced of something that you later discovered was completely wrong. Monsters in the closet that were only shirts and shadows to the hurtful actions of others that we later discover were misunderstandings on our part, these are just the beginning of the ways we misunderstand our circumstances. This is where faith steps in. Through our belief in God, we can see beyond our circumstances to embrace what is real and true.

Even now, as I look out the window, the sun and blue skies seem to be pointing toward spring, but the several inches of snow on the yard look more like winter. Likewise, as I look at my life, what I see often sends mixed messages. Thank God for the knowledge of the truth and the faith it forms that gives me strength to believe even where I cannot see.