We have all played the trust game.  You know, the one where everyone stands in a circle and one person is in the middle?  The one where the middle person closes their eyes, folds their arms over their chest and then the pushing and falling begins?  The one where you have to believe that the people in the circle would never let you hit the ground…. because you trust them? What an adventure!

Yeah….

 

This little game is played out in a variety of ways.  It can occur on a ropes course, or when a group of people form a line and everyone “sits” on the lap of the person behind them, the list goes on and on.  We use these games in groups that we belong to in order to build… well… trust. This trust then helps us to work together as a team. Because… well .. you got it – we trust each other.

 

Kind of a vicious circle.

 

Trust is a nebulous thing.  It can be built and it can be destroyed. It can be different for different people. It can be felt immediately or it can never be achieved.  Much depends on the people involved.

 

Trust is difficult to gain from a person who is a “control freak”.  I am a control freak! I do not trust easily. And I do not play any of these games well. It order to play these games well, it is necessary to let go of your control.  I can do it… it just takes me a long time. To trust you….

 

What about God and trust?  

 

Sometimes, our lives as Christians is all about the circle of trust.  It is all about trusting not only God’s people but about simply trusting God.  

 

Envision this:  the circle that I am in the middle of is very small.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit (or as we loving refer to them – “Big G, JC and the Spook”) are creating the circle around me. As I fall (from the pushing and pulling of life) I need to trust that these three will “catch” me.  I have to fold my arms over my chest, close my eyes and fall. Sometimes the fall is v-e-r-y – s-l-o-w and sometimes very fast.  How do you think I do?  You would be right to say, that as a control freak I have opened my eyes and put out my arms to stop the fall!  That is my natural instinct. I need to “save” myself.

 

What does God want me to do?  Right…. trust Him that He will catch me. That He won’t allow me to ever crash onto the floor. I might get close, but He still “has me”. Trust that He will set me back up gently and solidly until that next life push comes.  And when it comes, He wants me to trust Him again. And again. And again.

 

 

This comes easily to some folks.  But for folks like me, it is a hard learned fact.  But I am learning.  I am seeing God’s hands all around me. I am relaxing into the fall. I am encouraged by the “catch”.  

 

This past week of unemployment has been a struggle as I look forward.

 

 As a control freak I see exactly where I think the “crash” will happen in our lives.  However, God is gently “catching me” and showing me through the daily scripture that come to me in my inbox each day that He just wants me to trust Him.  That we have what we need today. That tomorrow is His to provide.

 

How about you?  Is there something you need to trust God with?  Is it money, like me or maybe health or family issues?  Or maybe just that you are not sure that He is all that interested in you.  Let me encourage you to try to close your eyes and cross your arms.  You won’t fall effortlessly each time.  Sometimes you will forget who is catching you and you will open your eyes, scream and put out your arms.  But along the way, you will begin to allow God to catch you. And like me, begin to relax in this trust.

 

 

 

Free falling….