4/22/18 – Sunday’s ART of Truth – Faith, Trust & The Unknown
I must be honest, I wrote this post before I had a session today, and actually was able to turn this corner. But, I may find myself here again and it is valuable to say and helpful for any who are able to identify with this journey, this battle ♡
As I have been pondering this topic, it seems to me that faith and trust go hand in hand.
Faith, by defintion is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof or evidence.
To have faith is to believe not knowing what will happen. Not being about to see the whole picture .
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is a picture of the character of God. Trust is fully believing in the character of who He has proven himself to be. As well as allowing Him to be Who He says He is.
In this journey, I know that I know that that God is trustworthy. He has proven this to me time and again. Even in my state of unbelief, His character does not change. I can trust Him. I do trust Him.
My faith, on the other hand holds firm because I know who I believe in. I do not hope or have faith in something or someone who has not proven to be FAITH-full. My ‘knowing’ comes from the journey with Jesus. For me, as a child of God, I am not merely hoping in something, rather I am staking my life and my sanity with the One who has evidenced Himself all over my life.
The verb tense definition of trust is to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
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 path straight.
Sometimes, our faith and trust are about baby-stepping. We do what we can when we can. We fall down. We get back up. We sink in disbelief and we rise in faith and trust once again.
I have learned that often this journey with Him through dark and tumultuous places requires blind faith. Sometimes, the places we must go are hidden and dark and scary. A picture that often comes to mind for me is a staircase that suddenly turns at the top and you can no longer see where it is leading. Often, we must put one foot in front of the other and have faith that where the steps are leading will bring more and more freedom.
Faith & trust when we cannot see where we are going.
When we are scared out of our mind.
When nothing makes sense.
When everything feels impossible.
When we feel dark, bad, unforgivable and misunderstood.
Yes, even when we cannot cognitively plan out a strategy to move around that blind corner. When we cannot see to get to the other side.
Dare I say, ESPECIALLY when all attempts on our part lead nowhere.
In this place, He invites us with earnest to reach out and take His hand. To stay glued to His side until we can breathe again and round that corner, see sunlight, and know once again, that everything WILL be ok.
From our birth, He knows us, He sees us, and longs for deep relationship. He wanted to rescue. He yearns to pick us up, in our tattered nightgown and with our faces smudged with tears…
He is most lovely to us in those places.
Who has ever longed for a daddy to see them and to receive them, no matter the state of being? Angry, sad, terrified, longing, seeking, lost and alone. I know I have, so many times. Most days.
I have watched my grandchildren trust in their Papa, my husband, with that kind of abandon. Walk off the deck, papa will catch me. Wade knee deep in the creek that is moving in swift current around their little legs, Papa is right there, he won’t let them go under. He will not forsake them. He will not prematurely leave. He will save them.
Jesus wants to be that Papa to us. He is even more trustworthy than this beautiful Papa, the man, the myth, the legend. This earthly Papa is human. He will fail. He will do his best not to, especially when it counts the most. Sadly he will fail. However, our heavenly Papa, our Creator, never fails.
In my previous blog post ‘The Journey, The Ride, I referenced the places in our journey where life hits-bare-hot-asphalt. I know you know the places I am talking about. We have all been there. When sheer grit and determination don’t prove to be enough. When is all we have is to trust and have faith in Jesus.
But even in that place, what have we got to lose by trusting the one who has already gone before us?
Must He prove Himself over and over again? Yes, it seems. That’s ok. He knows that we are hurting and afraid and our places of pain are what taught us instinctively to not trust EVEN those who seem most trustworthy. He knows and yet He doesn’t move. He waits, patiently.
But it requires something from us, doesn’t it? We have to decide if we are going to trust Him again with that thing that is around the corner in that dark cave.
Have you ever done a trust fall?
I have had many opportunities to practice it through a variety of challenge courses. In this event, you stand on the top of a cut off log. It seems like it was about 3 feet tall, which doesn’t seem very tall until you are standing on it 😊 On the ground, there is a group of people standing ready to ‘catch’ you. As the one standing on the log, you make a choice to trust that the people in your group are paying attention. They aren’t screwing around, or taking a nap and are very serious about this exercise. Then the moment of action comes. in order to keep the body straight, there was a strap that was positioned between ones feet and the top of the log. Before choosing to ‘fall’, you grab those ropes tight and straighten your body stiff like a board. And…then…you let yourself go…you fall. AND, your group catches you. It is TERRIFYING. It is also beautiful to see that your team did not let you down. No one fell asleep, no one was texting when they should have their arms and bodies ready to catch you. You breathe. Maybe you cry. The relief is palpable from both the one falling and the ones catching. It is a celebration.
How much more with Jesus? He is infallible. He doesn’t text. He doesn’t sleep. He isn’t ever distracted from us. We are the only thing on His mind. The ONLY thing, especially in those moments.
And guess what, He catches us. He isn’t around that dark corner twiddling His thumbs, bored out of His mind.
He is there by our side. Hand in hand, if we choose. Matching breath to breath, if we choose.
I don’t know about you but I am standing at the base of this stairway with the disappearing edge, preparing to turn the corner. My stomach churns, my heart races at the unknown . My mind swirls with ideas of possible outcomes. But He reminds me with a wink and a nod that ‘it’s ok, it’s going to be ok.’
What about you? Is there something that you need to face but are frozen in fear? Is there a dark spot that you need Him to check out with you? Is there some deep place that you need a witness? Are there some chains that need broken?
I encourage you to seek His face. Look into His eyes. He will catch you. He will comfort you. He will dry the tears, calm the exploding heart…He will. His promises are yes and amen .
Today, I fell, into His arms. He smiles. He cried with me. He took my hand so that I could walk out different then I came in.
I am so so grateful. Hard things ahead but it’s easier when we surrender into the fall.