BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, PART I “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.” — Anne Lamott
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ospitals have a way of sucking faith dry. Too many deaths. Too much pain. Too many questions why. The Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, though he was a believer, said, “The death of a single infant calls into question the existence of God.”1 My sister, Lisa, has witnessed the death of dozens. She has seen the heartbreak only a mother can cry. And yet, as a neonatologist she has also been a part of remarkable interventions. She has seen “dead” babies regain their breath and parents regain hope that was also dead. These are miraculous moments. Recently I was talking to Lisa about her faith and the effect being a doctor has on her. She shared a story that occurred outside of the hospital — on Mount Spokane as she skied with AUTHOR Kevin McGill her family and friends. It was the end of the day, and they decided to go on one last run. All was normal until, halfway up the mountain, the chairlift suddenly stopped. Lisa called her husband in the lodge and heard the power had gone out on the entire mountain. The lodge informed them they were seeking to start the emergency generator. Five minutes went by … 10 minutes, 20, 30 … . Lisa
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and her friend wondered if they could jump to the ground. They couldn’t see their kids ahead of them, and they were very nervous. At this point Lisa’s friend said, “Should we pray?” They agreed to pray, and the moment they said “amen” the chairlift lurched to life. Some might chalk this up as a coincidence, but the prayer was prayed with a sincere faith. Lisa expressed to me appreciation for the kind of faith exhibited in her friend’s prayer. It wasn’t about certainty; it was about sincerity. Even if that prayer wasn’t “answered,” there was a real confidence that came with trusting that God is in control. If God is ultimately in control, don’t we have the right to ask questions? Sometimes our honest questions lead to deeper faith. Recently a pastor friend told me his son no longer identifies as Christian. His son is wrestling
