Good evening brethren, I hope this note finds you prepared for your Sabbath rest!

The passing of a grand lady

Barbara Bush, former first Lady of the White House and wife of 41st president of the United States, George H.W. Bush (as well as mother of the 43rd president, George W. Bush), passed away on Tuesday evening at age 92.  It was nice that for a few hours, the political squabbling of our nation came to a halt while everyone shared their fond memories of a well respected lady, know for her sincerity and warmth.

A strong faith

An article on a www.people.com article by Tierney McAfee, dated April 18, 2018, read, "In a 2013 interview with C-SPAN, Mrs. Bush said she never feared death thanks to her strong faith. 'I have no fear of death, which is a huge comfort because we're getting darn close," the former first lady said at the time. "I don't have a fear of death for my precious George, or for myself, because I know that there is a great God, and I'm not worried.'"  

Her husband expressed similar sentiments on the effects of faith in their lives, when, after his wife's death, he told the nation they could , "cross the Bushes off your worry list."

I don't know that the Bush's beliefs on life after death agree with what we believe the Bible teaches, but the effects of their faith in God is evident - it provided comfort and peace of mind.  Certainly, it brings the familiar words of 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) to mind, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Faith: requirment and blessing

We recognize we need to have faith.  In fact, we often summarize the requirements for baptism as 'repentance and faith.'  While that is very true, we sometimes look at faith as an item on a checklist, as something we need, or else...  For example, we might say something like, "If I lack faith, will I be saved?"  Or, "I must not have enough faith, because if I did, I wouldn't worry about..."

While certainly something to consider, faith is far more than that.  Faith is not just something we should have, faith is a benefit and a blessing!  Whether it is the Bush family facing the loss if its matriarch, or you and I, facing a personal trial, faith becomes more than just a requirement at that moment, it becomes a blessing!  Having faith will produce that 'sound mind' Paul spoke of, and is a benefit of and by itself!

Whatever our trials might be - death, taxes or somewhere in between, let your faith be more than a requirement.  Let it be a blessing to you and to those who see it in action!