Model of Faith

March 2014

The story is often told of a father and daughter who were part of a traveling circus in Poland during World War II. During their act, the teenage daughter would jump from a high wire—without a net—and her father would catch her. One morning the father had gone out early and the girl was alone in their apartment. A stranger came to the door with a message from her father: The Nazis had come into town, and they would have to leave. It was too dangerous for the father to return during daylight, so he would meet her at the northwest corner of the apartment building in the wee hours of the morning. She would jump, and he would be there to catch her so they could escape unnoticed.

The young girl went as instructed to what she hoped was the northwest corner of the building and whispered into the darkness, “Father, are you there?” There was no answer, but she jumped. And he caught her.

This story speaks of a trust so strong and complete that it’s almost hard to believe. In this life-and-death situation, the young girl had to have blind trust in her father— even beyond what she knew from experience.

And that’s how it is to trust in God. It’s confident expectation that God will be there for you always. Mary exemplifies this confidence; her trust in God was incredible. Her whole life was rooted in the expectation that no matter what, God would be there for her.

Once again, Mary offers a dependable example.