R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts
“ Learning to trust no matter what life turns out to be is a great discovery.” ~ Sue Bender, Author of Plain and Simple Wisdom
Trust is a simple, yet complicated, topic. For most of 33 years, I trusted my ‘wasband.’ I trusted him even after his affairs when he said he wanted our marriage to work. I trusted him even after finding him in bed with his girlfriend when he said he wanted to have his family back. I don’t know when it was exactly that I decided that I couldn’t trust what he said. I think the kind of trust Sue Bender is talking about is trust in a power that is absolutely, unequivocally trustworthy. There were many times my ex-husband violated our promises to each other. There were times I was not all I could have been to him. There has never been one time in my whole life that God has not been there for me. At times, I wondered in the darkness where God was. Occasionally, I thought he had forgotten about me. But, in looking back, there is not one single time that God has not given me his strength and power and reassurance. Even letting me struggle through difficulties without stepping in and easing every path was a way that God has made me stronger. If he made our lives a party every minute we would have no need to trust. And in reality, it’s when things get so bad that all we can do is trust is when the greatest rewards come. It’s then that we learn, through testing and trusting, that life can ultimately be good regardless of any externals. My journey through my midlife divorce would have been so much easier if I had had more faith and done more relaxing and accepting of what was going on instead of fighting it so hard. Even now, if I can consciously do what I know is right without worrying so much about how details turn out, I will discover a peace that passes all understanding. That kind of trust is full of unbelievable freedom and power. Just for today, lets all try trusting God completely with every minute of this day and see what happens.
“He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength.” (For the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal).” Isaiah 26:3-4 (The Living Bible/NIV))
