When Tom and I planned our “riverboat cruise,” the travel agent assured us we needed trip cancellation insurance. “Just in case,” she said. “When you book something a year ahead you never know what will happen.”

My mind slipped back two years. I was walking across my kitchen floor when my heel came down on a few drops of water. I fell and broke my back. In less than one second, my life changed drastically. Wouldn’t it be great, I thought, if insurance money could actually fix any problems that might crop up between now and August 2016? But of course there is nothing that can compensate us for the illness, accident or death that would cause us to cancel this trip. Still, we set up the insurance to protect our financial investment.

As Christians, we have something better than insurance, and it’s free. We have faith in a God who has promised to love us no matter what we do, when we succeed and when we fail. God forgives our mistakes and give us the gift of new life. We have faith that no matter what happens, we are not alone. God is with us every step of the way. God gives us strength and wisdom to carry on, if we choose to receive it.

Our insurance company sent us a package with a glossy brochure that carried all the details of our policy. God has given us the Bible. It too carries details of God’s promises for us with no limits to liability or escape clauses. Just as we seldom study the insurance brochure, we often neglect to read our Bibles.

And that’s the problem. Our faith is a free gift. As is often the case with something that is free, we can choose to leave the gift all wrapped up, sitting within us waiting for us to open it. Faith is a choice. For some of us a hard choice, because we don’t do well with mystery. When we take the risk, when we step out with the assurance of God’ loving presence and strength, we are amazed at the results.

“and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” (Exodus 14:22)