It was an explosion that changed his life forever. He was young, married, had children, but in an instant, his life was turned upside down. It was an accident at his place of work, an explosion took his sight and the mobility of his legs. Now, paralyzed and blind where would this young man go? What would he do with the life he had before him? This man was Bro. John Favel, a staple in my church, The Pentecostal Church. Though his life was different than he may have planned for himself, do you think that he was bitter? Sad? Angry with God? Do you think he sulked? Layed in bed day after day regretting his life? No. Week after week you would see him sitting in his wheelchair beside his ever faithful, ever loving, wife. He would have his hands in the air praising God, one hand holding his Bible. No, he couldn’t read that bible he held in his hands, but if you were to ask him why he brings his bible to every service even though he cannot see it, his reply would be “Because God can still do miracles.” In everything, through it all, Bro. John Favel kept every single ounce of his faith in God. It never faltered, never wavered. I had the honor of working at my church when Bro. Favel wrote the church blog, as I am now. Each week I would wait excited to read his words full of wisdom and truth. I don’t know how hard it had to be for him to write those blogs, but week after week for years, he did it. And he did it perfectly. Speaking to lives about truth and God through his written words. I am honored to have read each and every blog he wrote during that time.
Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We are called to hope, to have faith even when we cannot see. Bro. Favel could not see, blind in his body, his spirit soured in faith. We need that sort of faith. The kind that looks not to the things of this world with our physical eyes but looks to God who guides us. Faith that says, “no matter what, God has got this, and I will not fear.” Faith that says, “The Lord is my light and salvation, who will I fear?” There will be things that will happen in our lives that we do not foresee, things we cannot stop or change. Things we cannot fix on our own. But God calls us to look to Him, the one who knows our beginning and our end, the number of hairs on our heads, the desires of our hearts, the one who knows US. God knows us even better than we know ourselves because he created each and every one of us. Carving us out of nothing. Do not think for a second that your problems will catch him off guard. He knows what will happen before you know about it. And He proves himself, even though he shouldn’t have to, to us time and time again. He shows up time after time. He gives, He loves, He fills, He moves. If we cannot put our faith in the God who does all of that for us, then what can we put our faith in? Many times, in our lives we will choose to put our faith in the things of this world, carnal, physical things. But why? They will not fulfill us, and they will not stick. “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” Matthew 24:35. The things we put our faith in here on this earth will soon fade away to nothing and what will we be left with? God will never fade, He will never let us down, never fail, never leave. He is forever. His promises stand true forever. That is something I know Bro. Favel knew to be true.
Today we lay Bro. John Favel down to rest, but I know He is up in Heaven with His creator, no longer sitting in his wheelchair, but running on streets of gold. And as for his eyes, they are opened and he is not only seeing the beauty of heaven and God himself, but he is seeing things we cannot even understand yet here on earth. He is seeing things for the first time that can only be seen once inside those pearly gates. He is praising God. He is walking with God. He is full of all wisdom. He is living! Though today may be a bit sad for us here on earth, we will rejoice with Bro. Favel. I will remember his legacy he left here on earth. I will strive to be as full of faith as he was. Until that glorious day when God calls us all home together. Thank you for your faith Bro. Favel. Thank you for your example. Thank you for your life. Keep sliding on your knees on the streets of gold.
He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.
