Volume 74: Rest in Trust

Blakely couldn't figure out how to press play on the remote, so she got frustrated and began to cry...

She couldn't figure out how to pull back the trigger on her new nerf gun, so she got frustrated and began to cry...

She couldn't figure out how to drag the brush to the dog on the phone, so she got frustrated and began to cry...

I found myself oddly able to relate to this 3 year old...

It's hard to not have control in this life. We want to be able to do it all on by ourselves...

Yet, when she finally allowed me to help her, the issue was immediately solved, with very little effort on my end. 

Later that day, I was riding in the car with cousin Jessie and her 3 girls, ages 8, 6 and 4. Their most commonly used word at this phase is: why? 

No matter what answer you give, you better be prepared for a follow up "why?"

And again, I found myself oddly able to relate to these young kids...

It's hard to not have all the answers in this life. We want to be able to know everything...

Lack of control. 

Lack of understanding. 

Themes that start at young age yet seem to stick with me no matter how old I get...

What do we do when we can't control? 

When we don't understand? 

When we have nothing tangible to hold on to?

Well, earlier this week, when I asked Debbie that last question, she very quickly answered, "You trust."As I waited for her to continue... there was nothing more to be said... Sometimes that is all we can do!

On Sunday, I listened to the church sermon and it almost made me question if Debbie had called Pastor Andy and told him, "I have a message someone in our congregation needs to hear!!!"....

It was exactly what I needed to hear - how to handle the "seasons of separation." We looked at the story of Joseph and his separations that led to new beginnings. That God was working all along, even though it took 20 years for Joseph to understand what God was orchestrating through it all. 

Sure, God had given Joseph a dream, but wouldn't it had made Joseph's life much easier if God made it clear to Joseph that he would soon be in a leadership position. Instead, Joseph suffered through slavery and prison. But God does not reveal his plan with us. Pastor Andy said, "you know why God doesn't permit us that kind of foreknowledge? Because he wants us to trust Him." 

He ended the sermon saying, "What God offers us this morning is not a step by step vision of His plans for us. What He offers us is Himself. You can't know everything that is going to happen, but you can know me and you can trust me."

Trust. A word that seems to be coming up often. I have learned that sometimes I like to be dramatic because it is helpful for me to verbally process... (I apologize to you all...) But I continually find myself in a position of knowing that God is good, but not trusting the process. For example, I know in my heart that I will enjoy being in Houston, but in the waiting season, I lack true trust. 

So may I be more quick to TRUST! Trusting is hard for me because the concept itself is abstract... But, how lucky we can follow the endless examples of people in the Bible who exemplified trust.

Abraham taking Isaac to be sacrificed. 

Joseph being wrongly thrown into prison.

Moses leading the Israelites into unknown land. 

Jesus dying on the cross. 

And countless others. In the moments of frustrations with not being in control and the moments of not fully understanding, these faithful followers chose to trust. When it didn't make sense, they trusted that God was good. 

May I do the same! 

CONGRATS TO MATTHEW AND CELIA!!!!! How exciting for them to take the next step and get married!!!!