What is Faith?

Over the holidays, a second cousin of mine lost her baby and almost lost her life. She hemorrhaged while losing her baby and needed a blood transfusion to save her life.

She refused the transfusion because it is against her religion to accept blood products.

At first, I couldn't help but be angry with her. That's one stupid little component of her religion. It's a dumb thing. As dumb as the catholics and birth control. I thought she was being very selfish. One little thing would save her life. And then she could be there to watch her other child grow up. Her other child is not even four years old. She would be leaving her baby and her husband, all because she wouldn't accept blood. Ok, fine, don't accept a stranger. Couldn't you get blood from your hubby? I mean, come on! you've already exchanged bodily fluids with him at least twice! What's one more time??? Or your Mom? you were once part of her, wouldn't her blood be OK?

She got very ill, and other problems piled up for her, they said she'd need surgery but then she was too weak for surgery.

I'm not sure how this all played out. I know that she was essentially on her death bed and her family came out to Ontario (they are all in winnipeg now, as is she, but she was visiting her Mom in Ontario when all this happened.). All I know for sure is that she didn't die. Or if she did, no one told us. :-)

I do know that she stuck to her decision and did not have the blood. Now, was she just lucky? Or was that faith? Does that show you something? Teach you something? Maybe. I believe faith works like that. Does that make her faith, her religion the right one? No. Maybe not. Maybe?

I am not thinking about converting to her religion. But it does renew my own faith to think about this. I think that if you really have faith, that it works for you.

So, why can't the rest of the world see that? We don't have to all believe in the exact same thing, we just have to believe.