It's All About Trust

Whenever I hear someone speak the words, "Trust me," I am instantly transported back to when I was 5 years old, trembling as I stood at the edge of the high diving board above the glistening water of the Red Bank swimming pool. My brother Jerry paddled patiently in the water below me as he chanted, "Come on, Little Bit ... jump in! I promise I'll be right here ... trust me!" I don't remember how long it took before I finally put my hand over my nose and jumped off the board, but I do remember one thing very clearly ... I remember Jerry's strong arms reaching into the water and pulling me to the surface, and then hanging onto his shoulders as he swam through the water to the ladder at the side of the pool. I also remember what my big brother said to me as I grabbed hold of the cool metal steps ... "You were great, Little Bit! Told you that you could trust me!"

If you've been reading along with me for any length of time, you know that I am a little afraid of thunderstorms ... yeah, right, eh? I am completely terrified of storms if the weather guys mention the word severe in conjunction with those storms. Long-time readers, you know about the storm fort I built in my basement and the bungeeing of my dogs' kennels to the water pipes ... 'nuff said. For the last week, the weather guys here in Kansas City have been warning us that severe weather was on its way for today and tomorrow, and yes, I grew more and more nervous with every passing day. I've been watching and reading about the weather for days ... I even read one of the local weather guy's blog every single day. It speaks volumes about the level of my storm fears that the two relatively new gals who sit near me at work asked me yesterday and today if there were any watches or warnings in place for our area. And this morning, it brought me great pleasure to report to them that I wasn't even a little bit frightened today because the weather guys and gals on Fox 4 said we were in absolutely no danger of severe weather today.

Here's the thing ... I trust the weather folks at Fox 4 for two reasons. They are right most of the time, and they don't hype things up in a shameless attempt to garner more viewers. The weather folks on the other channels, not so much ... in fact, they generally scare the living daylights out of me. As I've thought today about how I trust certain weather folks and not others, it's caused me to ponder how hugely important trust is in life ... trusting God, trusting other people, trusting myself. And the more I've pondered it, the more I've come to realize that my ability to trust has taken a pounding over the last year or so. I struggle with trusting that God has a plan for my life or even that He really does love me. People I trusted deeply have chosen to no longer have a relationship with me. And trusting myself? Good grief ... obviously, I've never had much confidence in myself.

But ... but ... but ... God keeps teaching me lessons and putting signs right in front of my face that are difficult to ignore. There are people who prove to me each day that they are trustworthy and loyal with some of the really gigantic things in my life. And slowly, slowly, slowly, perhaps I'm even learning to trust myself a little. Tonight, I'm also very much aware of how important it is not only for me to trust, but how important it is that I be trustworthy as well. I think I'll close tonight with some quotes ... quotes about trust ... because that really is what it's ultimately all about ... trust me.

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." --- Corrie Ten Boom 

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." --- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 "O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You." --- Psalm 84:12

"Few delights can equal the presence of one whom we trust utterly." --- George MacDonald

"A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend, one human soul whom we can trust utterly, who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults." --- Charles Kingsley

 "As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." --- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 "Today I trust my instinct, I trust myself. Finally." --- Isabelle Adjani