When I was 26 years old, I taught world literature and English in a high-school in Mombassa, Kenya.   Although I never went hungry, my apartment had no telephone or television and was roughly the size of a single car garage in America.

When I wasn’t teaching, I found myself spending a lot of time with the Lord, reading his book, praying and thinking about his purpose for my life.  Jesus said, “seek and you will find” so I took an active role to seek opportunities to learn and grow, so I would be better equipped to help others.   And that’s when I got a letter in the mail, offering a one-way ticket and full scholarship to get a master’s degree in Biblical studies in America.

It was a typical blue sky and balmy January day when the first flight of my life lifted off that Kenyan runway.  Roughly 24 hours later, I found myself alone with my $200 life’s savings, but completely lost inside a teeming jungle called JFK international in New York City.

My accent was so strong that most people just looked at me and shrugged when I asked for help.  I eventually found my way to the baggage claim area and can’t begin to imagine what would have happened if I had missed my connecting flight to Pittsburg.

What a day!  First flight.  First time I’d ever seen snow.  First time I ever froze while standing outside.   First time I realized I could read and hear English, but English-speakers couldn’t hear or read me.  First time I had ever used a phone in my life.  First time out of Kenya. . . Trust me, it took a whole lot of faith to make that first step to come here.

I think that many steps of faith can involve a lot of firsts.  First the unknown.  First the letting go of control.  First choosing to believe in God whom you cannot see or touch.  First accepting that God loved us first.

But remember as we take those first steps, that God has faith in you and loves when you move forward in faith.   He’s applauding, like watching a baby learning to walk, saying, “You can do it!  Come to Daddy!”   Today, let’s take those steps of faith with confidence.   He’s got his arms open wide:  “You can do it!  Come to Daddy!”