Trust Exercise

 

2/23/2021

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

Trusting God is hard. It is very easy to say and proclaim, but much more difficult to do. We cajole, maneuver and manipulate situations to try to get our desired outcome, when all we really need to do is trust God. He is always there and He always has a plan; we need only do our part and trust Him. 

Recently, my husband was growing concerned about a situation he is in that has become untenable. It was slowly beginning to affect his mood, and although I could see that, I had no idea what was going on. It seems he was putting a lot of energy into correcting the situation on his own, and it was causing him stress. He is a fixer, both by nature and through his career. If there is a problem, then he is going to work on how to make repairs. It is a wonderful gift, but can also be a burden at times. Thankfully, after being able to pinpoint what was going on with him, we were able to come together and bring it before the Lord. 

Now I know that my husband had been praying about the issue (like he does all things regarding our lives), but he also was trying to strategize and got caught in the dreaded "what if?" spiral. We have all been there, haven't we? When he finally paused his natural propensities for just a moment, prayer became the focus, and in rushed clarity. He released the situation to God, and God showed him the way. The difficulty was taken out of my husband's hands, and all is well. To God be the glory!

I have just used my husband's recent example of laying down a burden and trusting God, but my own testimony is also full of these kinds of stories. When I hold on too tightly and try to be a "fixer", it normally doesn't work. Oh sure, I may be able to awkwardly put a band-aid on the gaping wound and stop the bleeding momentarily, but only God can heal it. I have seen this happen so many times in my life that I have lost count. 

So have I finally learned my lesson, after all those experiences, to turn to God immediately and trust Him with every situation in my life? Sadly no; I can be a willful child. I still get in the way sometimes, at the ready with my puny band-aids and self-constructed first-aid kit. Thankfully, God shows me mercy and grace every time, waiting for me to come to Him with arms wide open. It is at that time of release to Him that clarity and direction come. 

I just now saw this memory on my social media, which I jumped on before posting this evening. It is a quote from my son from three years ago that ties in beautifully with this what is above. "If you stay the course and believe in the path God has placed you on, He will bless you. Always keep your trust in Him."