Inherent Trust

     If you live long enough, you will encounter a person or a situation that will skew or completely diminish your ability to trust completely, fully, and unabashedly. We become experts at placing masks and veils over ourselves to protect and shield us from getting hurt or appearing too vulnerable. Sure, for awhile we believe we are strong; we are better; we are safe; we are wiser - only to be completely ignorant to what true freedom and serenity is all about. Something that our own logic and reasoning and justifications will rarely lead us to - gaining life and freedom is essentially to die to oneself and surrender to the One who gave you life in the first place. Well what does that mean? Scripture tells us that "our lives are hidden in Christ." Until we find Christ, accept Him, and live by faith in Him, our lives and purpose will continue to be an impalpable mystery that is available for us to see, but will not ever really quite SEE  until we are in Him. As we grow to learn about Christ's nature and how much God truly loves us and has always loved us, we begin to respond to the inherent trust that God placed in each of us but we either place it in idols that only lead to the dismantling of its original purpose OR we place God in human terms where we believe He cannot be trusted because of how humans fail us daily. "God is not a man, that He shall lie" (Numbers 23:19). What God says He is, will do. and be is true. We have to daily remind ourselves that His ways will not always look the way we believe they should, but when we look back and look at our triumphs (despite the rocky soil they were planted in), God has and is faithful. What struggle or challenge has not produced greater character within us? What obstacle have we met that has not taught us more about our capabilities? What hurtful situation has not opened a door for new opportunity, new life, or new hope? It is this ongoing principle that reveals that we can and must trust God to be God (Lord and Ruler) of our lives so that we can fully surrender to the unique life He has for each one of us.
   In a short story by Christine Hibbard, she delineates the day she "died" and the life she gained. She went on a river-rafting trip with friends and her boat was suddenly hit by a wave of white water. As she was quickly thrown off the boat, the waves were thundering and hovering over her and she states that she was reminded to "surrender to the flow of the river if tossed overboard." She then states:

     "At that moment, I realized I was going to die. A small voice inside of me said it would be okay to die and become a part of this river rather than apart from it and the process. And that's when I experienced true surrender - the last thing I remember feeling was the great peace of not having to struggle anymore."

     First, let me say how this is another example of God's mercy, faithfulness, and voice to his children. God is forever pursuing us to see His great truths and love in our everyday circumstances - big and small. Though it appeared to be a moment about physical life and death, it galvanized her inner resolve to face life in the very same manner (once she was rescued of course back to the boat:). She learned to "die" to fear, uncertainty, and rebellion and responded to the inherent trust in God's plan and will for her life and that "everything really will be okay." Through constant prayer and relationship with God, she progressively learned to surrender her trust in Him and that our futures are secure in Him when we follow after Him.

     "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and the gospel will save it." Mark 8:35