Of all the white precious metals, platinum is my favorite because it’s the shiniest!
Even platinum pieces that haven’t been cleaned in a long time maintain their luster better than silver and white gold. Do you know why? It’s because platinum doesn’t tarnish as heavily or as quickly as other metals; however, its surface can still become rather dull over time.
Sort of like our platinum faith.
One day, you can be standing on the promises, praising the Lord, and shouting the hallelujahs, but when your breakthrough doesn’t happen as quickly as you’d hoped, your platinum faith can become cloudy at best. And, it can happen so slowly and sneakily, a little less luster every day, that when you wake up one day and your platinum faith no longer has its shine, you may not have any idea how it happened or when it happened.
I walked through this with my sister, Martie, as we cared for our mama before she went to heaven. Mom had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and though she was more than ready to go home and be with Jesus and our father who had passed two years before, we weren’t ready. The doctors had done everything they could do for Mom, so hospice was called in to make her comfortable. Martie and I met with her main doctor and the hospice workers, and we prayerfully decided to do everything in our power to keep Mom at my sister’s house instead of a 24-hour nursing care facility.
So, that’s what we did.
It was our greatest privilege to care for our wonderful mother, but it was also one of the most difficult seasons of our lives. Every single day we fought discouragement, sadness, hopelessness and fatigue. It was a journey we never wanted to take—a role reversal we never asked for—but a calling we were more than willing to answer.
And, as caregivers you often feel isolated from the world and overwhelmed with the reality of what’s actually going on—your loved one is ill and oftentimes, the prognosis is not good. Just those two things alone could dull your platinum faith’s luster but add to them the constant stress and fatigue that accompanies caregiving, and your platinum faith might be luster-less.
That’s where my sister and I found ourselves after several months of round-the-clock care for our mom. Many times when I had a few hours away, I’d park my SUV at one of my favorite scenic spots in Lawrence County, Indiana, and play Keith Moore’s cd “Thank You Lord for the Holy Ghost” over and over again.
As I looked out over the beautiful countryside—sometimes through tears—and listened to those powerful lyrics, I would feel my luster returning.
Just like platinum jewelry comes back to life after soaking it in warm soapy water, immersing myself in God’s presence restored my platinum faith, and I was ready to face another day.
It’s not that we’ve lost our faith when we lose our luster; it’s just that we’re often weary in the well-doing. Maybe that’s why Galatians 6:9 encourages, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (NIV).
We can’t give up. We have to stay in the fight—the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12)—no matter how long the battle rages on. Fight on, my sister, fight on! Spend some time with God today and ask Him to restore your luster.
To help you get started, take a moment and listen to this powerful song by Keith Moore.
Learn more about developing a Platinum Faith.
