Faith in Action

The people of the Bronx have an unmatched flair for life. Their world is a captivating melody of sights, sounds and smells. Their struggles are masked by their infectious love for one another; a result of their deep faith. In the ten short months I have been a part of their neighborhood these individuals have taught me the simple, yet invaluable relationship between one’s choices and their faith.

Life as we all know is filled with choices.
The choice to help; the choice to hurt.
The choice to listen; the choice to ignore.
The choice to love; the choice to hate.
The choice to value; the choice to judge.

It is in the hardest of times, when all choices seem exhausted and help is out of reach, that I have learned the most about faith. The people of the Bronx, who I now consider family and friends, have taught me that sometimes exercising choice must first involve letting go and letting God.

Cindy, a resident of Siena House, has handed over the rights to all but one of her nine children. Although she desperately misses them every minute of every day, she knows that God has found hands that are able to help raise them until she returns to a more stable situation.

The choice to help.

Margaret, an elderly woman in our community, has begun to acknowledge that there will come a time that she must let go of this life and let God bring her home. Margaret stays focused on listening to God’s plan, which has allowed her to continue living every minute of her life on earth to the fullest.

The choice to listen.

Rico, my best friend on the block, made the choice to put down his fists and silently endure the impact of brutality as fifteen others jumped him for standing up for what was right. Rico’s face is laced with stitches, but his trust in God has allowed him to continue loving those who have wronged him.

The choice to love.

Instead of being paralyzed by their lack of good alternatives, the homeless women of Siena House let go and let God on a daily basis. Constantly faced with making the decision between two unappealing options the women turn to God for strength, courage and faith. They choose single parenting over an unstable partner, colossal debt over dependency on an abuser, attempting to live off minimum wage instead of selling their bodies, a court date over living with domestic violence. They find value in the lessons God teaches them, however taxing those lessons may seem.

The choice to value.

I have learned through Cindy, Margaret, Rico and my Siena ladies that when we make the choice to call on faith, God showers us with love. It is He who helps us through our heartache and uncertainties, listens to our joys and sorrows. My friends have taught me to place value on each choice I make. Through them my faith has been strengthened and I have begun to better understand how to let go and let God.