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Good Morning.
Faith and reason are destined to be opposites. Reason tells us to work things out logically; faith on the other hand tells us to trust even when we can’t see the logic. For me it’s essential to have both faith and reason; reason helps us to make sense of what we can see, but faith helps us to imagine what we can’t. Faith gives us hope. And hope gives us courage.
One of my favourite parables is of a man shipwrecked on a desert island; he builds himself a shelter where he stores the provisions he’d managed to salvage from the shipwreck. One day a storm breaks out, his shelter is hit by lightning and goes up in flames. In despair he collapses on the sand crying ‘God what have you done to me?’.  But soon there’s a ship on the horizon and he’s rescued. Delirious with relief he thanks the ship’s captain and asks him ‘But how did you know I was there?’, ‘We saw your smoke signals’ replies the captain. 
Another favourite story of mine is of the town that was suffering a severe drought and all the crops had failed. The town’s people decide to have a prayer meeting to ask God for rain. As they file into their place of worship glum and disheartened, one little girl bounces in with bright eyes, an eager smile…and a red umbrella. 
We all face challenging times, whether it’s financial difficulties, poor health, or just loneliness. We need to remember that even in our darkest hour we’re not forsaken. Help will come, it may take time, and it may not be what we asked for, but it will be what God knows we need.Loving merciful God, help us have faith that you know best what’s good for us, and grant us the comfort to know you will always be by our side. Amen.