Over and over again, our heavenly Father tells us not to worry but to have confidence in his abiding presence and love. From Old Testament “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9 to New “..and behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:20, He repeatedly asks us to trust that we will never be left or forsaken. A recent experience has prompted me to compare my ability to look to God with an unwavering trust to when your coach tells you to run a play that’s sure to work, and then you react with a pleasantly surprised, “Alright!” when it actually happens. My head says, “I trust you, Lord—let’s do this!” And then, I’m still in awe when He answers like he did for me this past week with a resounding, “Yes! Finally! Let’s do this, indeed!”
My “hereeeeee’s Jesus!” Story of the week… While randomly exploring my WR web page (disclaimer: no I’m not that vain… there are all these links and extra info the WR team leader shares with us that are located under lots of different tabs on our personal siteJ) , I clicked on my fundraising tab only to see a sizable donation from a name I did not recognize. My immediate thought: “crap that was exciting for a moment, but I’m sure it’s a mistake for the wrong account.” (notice how I am STILL questioning God providing for me even when it’s right before my eyes!) My next thought was of a hopeful, “But wait, the person’s address is from my college town. Hmmm… where is the connection I’m missing?” After a little research through texts, I came to find out this person was actually the father of a friend of a friend… bizarre right? WRONG! “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” – 1 John 5:14 This most generous blessing created a beautiful and honest reflection with my sweet Savior.
It makes logical sense to trust Him… the ways He provides are endless. There are many things I do trust Him entirely to take care of; yet, do I whole heartily surrender myself, my purpose to Him? I know what it is to trust the Lord, but does my heart truly realize the extent? I know that I can and should trust Him with any and all pieces of my life, yet my foolish, human heart still questions, “Can it be true?” when He shows up to deliver. I’ve come to understand that is the beauty of this living relationship. How easy it is to forget that from His image I was molded. From His hand I was formed. He does not merely know my heart, He IS my heart. As I continue to focus on His promises coming true, I feel my true trust deepening in and with Him. These experiences are necessary to remind us there are no limits to our Lord. I am completely filled with gratitude and a renewed sense faith in the many vessels of God’s generosity.
I am very thankful to have had this manifestation relatively early in this process. I know that I will face intense challenges, and may even feel like giving up at some point. The beauty is in coming back to the awareness that these are all earthly hurdles; however, we know that a confidence in Him will always persevere for He tells us:
“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” –John 16:33
