Habit or faith...

I fell down the stairs yesterday when I was coming down for the day.  It was the first time in a long while where the fall was the full length of the stairs.  Amos was beside me, as usual, going down the stairs, too.  When I landed, my first thought, spoken aloud, was "Thank you, Jesus."  I had not crushed Amos.  We were both still clearly alive.  Both were good things.  In this moment, you could say that both were perfect provision.

Thank you, Jesus.
The thought has bothered me as much as the fall.
Thank you, Jesus. 

Today, I am even more sore than yesterday, with pains all about me.  I have some spectacular bruises, a goose egg on my lower left leg (which I was sure must be broken before I stood upon it), a swollen left elbow, and a right hip that has protested just about every movement since the fall.  I have been trying to rest, but also trying to move about, so as not to stiff up too much.  I have not been successful at either.

Growing up, I learned to hold my breath when passing a graveyard.  I do so automatically, even though I do not believe that doing so honors the dead.  Growing up, I learned to say "bless you" when someone sneezed.  I do so automatically, not believing that doing so will keep the evil spirit that has just left the person from re-entering him or her.

How do you know what is habit and what is faith?

As an evangelical, Jesus as the Good Shepherd was an image.  An image of a handsome man with a flowing beard in a white robe holding a shepherd's crook looking tenderly at some sheep.  Being a good shepherd really had nothing to do with me.  The Good Shepherd was who Jesus was, not who He is.

The Christian Book of Concord taught me otherwise.  Most particularly, I learned so in Luther's Large Catechism Part III on The Lord's Prayer.  But also in every bit that talks about our Triune God's love and care for His creation.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd, but He is so because God the Father sent His Son to care for His creation.  Jesus is able to tend to His sheep because God the Holy Spirit works daily in the lives of believers, giving them faith, sanctifying them, sustaining them, healing them.

So, I learned to say:  "Christ be praised." or "Thank you, Jesus." as the proper way to give God the credit when something good happens, when provision has taken place.  A melding of what I knew about everything that is good coming from God and that the Good Shepard was not an image.

Is it live or is it Memorex?  A cultural reference for what I wonder few would understand.  How do you know what is habit and what is faith?