eighteen years.

And it took me eighteen years but I think I finally am beginning to understand my faith.  Faith isn't seeing, faith is believing.  Faith is believing even when there's no evidence to back it up.  A leap of faith means taking a step - a step out in faith, a step out into the unknown with no expectations.  Faith is trusting that things will workout for the best.  Faith isn't organization, faith isn't a set of rules, faith doesn't come with an instruction manual, it doesn't tell you how to do - there is no "Faith For Dummies."  You can't see to believe; if you see then you know and when you obtain knowledge you no longer believe.  Proof isn't faith - faith isn't proven.  This world doesn't operate on faith.  The secular world tells you what you can grasp in your hands is what's there.  What I can see with my eyes and hold with my hands is what's laid out in front of me.  What I have faith in is beyond what I can see.   I have faith that there is a power beyond what's been proven to exist.  This is my leap of faith.  This hasn't been proven, but I have enough faith to believe it doesn't need to be.  The things of this world will eventually fade away, but the faith in our hearts lives on forever.