Dear Father, I studied what led to Thomas being called “doubting Thomas,” and I found several instances where he displayed doubt. In the first, Lazarus had died, and Jesus said to His disciples, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.” Then Thomas responded, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” At another time, when he was told that Jesus had resurrected, his response was, “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into it, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.” It was evident that Thomas tried to build a shield against disappointment. He responded like someone who cared deeply and had experienced a series of disappointments, choosing to live by the principle: “It is safer to envision and accept loss than to hope for victory and eventually experience loss.” Thomas was vocal about a principle many of us subconsciously uphold: “Excessive caution prevents extreme hurt.” So we build sheltered hearts--effective in preventing hurt from coming in--without realizing that the door that shuts out hurt is the same one that welcomes love; the door that accommodates doubt is the same one that limits faith. As wise as it may seem, excessive self-protection results in limitation. Father, I understand Thomas’s heart. But i've learned that disappointment coexists with faith, and love coexists with hurt. Show me where fear has disguised itself as wisdom in me. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindi Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #disappiontment #shelter #caution #hurt