Say The Word

"But say the word and my servant will be healed." Luke 7:7

I have spent much of this evening and parts of today attending alumni gatherings. This is my 20 year reunion and there were just three of us from my class present. Lots of conversations, story telling and laughter marked today. Lots of words, mostly celebratory and tender. But I am reminded today that what we say can be very critical to the success of others.Sometime today people told stories of not being understood, and not always feeling safe. How much do we actually learn from what is said,and how much more we learn from the actions and behavior of others? I believe we learn the most by imitating and following others. If we come up in a trusting and secure environment, we tend to recreate that space but if we come up in unsafe places, we can also recreate those dangerous situations. Lots of good words were said tonight. Lots was left unsaid. I was so glad to see many old friends, many of whom have modeled love in their lives. For that I am forever grateful.

Jesus was taken aback by the faith of the centurion. He told Jesus that he only needed to say the word and his servant would be healed. This centurion had lots of practice putting faith into action - putting his money where his mouth is. He trusted Jesus because the structure around him was reliable and trustworthy. His solid faith was a gift from others.

Today, I want to live as one who provides a solid faith and structure for others. I want to live like the centurion who trusted the word of Jesus. And like Dorothy who finally trusted the words, "there's no place like home." She too had come up in a place and among people who lived their faith. Not flashy but solid, dependable and loving, day in and day out. This is how I want to live. And I ask God for the strength to live my faith today. And everyday. May we all have the courage to ask Jesus for what we need, and trust him at his word.