Driving home and faith

While I was driving on our way home I hit a huge rock that had fallen from the canyon wall on the right side of the road. It damaged our shift box (the thing that makes it possible to change gears from park to reverse to drive, etc) and I couldn't start the car up again. Someone stopped to help us and because thee was no phone reception there in the canyon they drove Eldon 30 miles to town to call a tow truck. John and I stayed in the car to wait. While we were waiting I asked him what he thought about faith. I admitted that I didn't think I really understood it. While he and Eldon had been checking the car after we hit the rock and then talking with the people who stopped, I'd been praying in the car that we'd be able to start up again. But we didn't. We didn't get on our way again for another four hours. Now why was that? Was it just not the will of the Lord that our car should be fine, or was it a lack of faith on my part (or any of our parts)?

I came to the tentative conclusion that if we can have the faith to pray for a specific blessing, knowing the Lord can give it to us, and then cheerfully accept whatever answer He does give us, we're exercising faith. Until my will is totally aligned with His, which may or may not ever actually happen in this lifetime, I cannot expect to only pray for that which it is already His will to give me. His ways are not my ways, His thoughts are not my thoughts. But if I can cheerfully to all things that lie within my power - such as the decision to pray and the self-control to not resent the answers that come - I am exercising all the faith it is possible for me to exercise in that moment. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but for now this is my opinion. Faith is things hoped for but not seen. I hope that there is truly a God in heaven ordering all things for my good as fast as I'm able to receive them. And I demonstrate my faith when I live as if that is true.