What’s Josiah Day?

Since my friend’s sweet dream in July 2013 (which you can read about by clicking here), the 17th of every month has always been called “Josiah Day” in our home–it’s a day in which I celebrate God’s promise of my future baby bird. I might go out to dinner with my hubby and talk about future nursery ideas, baby shower plans, or who gets up at 3 am for feedings. Or I will buy a cute outfit or shoes that scream, “Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing!” I might even write him a note expressing how excited I am to hear him one day call me mommy, or sometimes I write a thank you letter to God for what I know He will give me. No matter what I do, I celebrate the 17th in faith that Josiah will be snuggled in my belly or arms. And soon.

Celebrating without evidence wasn’t always easy and exciting. Faith wasn’t something I could grasp or comprehend. I would try to rationalize, analyze, and figure out faith and how to feel it, but one day, I realized faith wasn’t something to be felt. It can’t be rationalized, analyzed, or figured out. It’s not meant for me to comprehend. It is simply believing in something without having evidence. It’s as simple as being three again and using your imagination.

There was a time in my life when I would pass by cute onsies, funny pacifiers, or soft blankets that I wanted to purchase for my baby bird because I harbored the “what if” thoughts. What if I don’t get my baby bird? What if I heard God all wrong? What if He doesn’t heal me? Those “what if” thoughts spoke what I believed and they demonstrated my doubts.

Do you remember when you would play with your baby doll as a child? Did you sit there and stare at your baby doll and play with it in your mind? No! You talked and acted as if it were real. You called it by name and played with it as if it was alive. You had to feed, burp, and tend to its every need. You took it to the grocery store when you went shopping with your mom, and you made sure nobody hurt your baby. It was real.

Just like your imagination goes further than daydreaming and requires action, so does your faith. Faith requires more than just daydreaming about what you are hoping for because it sees it as real and takes action to demonstrate such a strong belief.

The Bible says, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Confidence: firm trust

Hope: joyful, confident expectation

Assurance: A strong and definite statement that something will happen

Hebrews 11:1 can be read like this, “Now faith is having a firm trust in what we are joyfully and confidently expecting and we have a positive statement about what we do not see.”

This is why I celebrate “Josiah Day”. I celebrate because I have faith in God’s promises and confidently believe He is faithful to perform His word. He is not a man who He should lie or a human being that He should change His mind (Numbers 23:19). Just daydreaming about His promises to me isn’t enough. I need to back up my beliefs with words and actions.

What is it that you are hoping for in your life? Are you just daydreaming about it, or are you taking action? If there is something you can say or do to demonstrate your faith, do it!

Faith believes. Faith speaks. Faith acts.