The Bridge of Trust

Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Cincinnati has several bridges that cross over the Ohio River and connect the city to northern Kentucky. The Roebling bridge was built in 1866 and at that time was the longest suspension bridge. The bridge itself is a beautiful structure with the arched trusses and light blue paint. Although the bridge has been under repair from time to time, thousands of folks have driven back and forth into downtown Cincy or Covington.

The people who travel across the bridge, John A. Roebling designed and built, trust the structure to carry them across and keep them safe. Much like any bridge or highway, we believe the engineers did their job and created a safe means of transportation.

I remember crossing a causeway in Georgia when I drove down to visit my brother on St. Simon’s Island. Being from Ohio, I’d not encountered such a structure. As it rose into the air, even though it was not as high as I imagined, my anxiety rose a bit too. But I had to trust it to take us to the island.

I tend to trust whatever works consistently. So why is it so hard sometimes to trust the One being who is always the same? God never changes. He’s present in my every day life and has never given me a reason to doubt Him. As I’ve grown older and hopefully wiser, I tend to place my life in His hands more and more. As the psalmist says, “my heart trusts Him.” I’m so thankful God remains the same no matter the circumstances and He helps me as I navigate life. I praise Him for His ongoing presence and reliability.

Trust God with everything. He has our best interest at heart.

He Can Handle It

Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Cool weather, apple cider slushies, and grandkids at the pumpkin farm made for a wonderful fall day.

Photo by Sara Hatch

My daughter, her husband, and three of my grandkids took our annual trip to the pumpkin farm to celebrate the arrival of autumn. The day progressed from chilly to cool as the sun shined on us. We climbed on a wagon and road through the fields on an old-fashioned hay ride. The kids played games and climbed on the hay bales in the barn. They peddled three wheelers and looked at a python (I kept my distance.) Then we discovered an obstacle course and mini-zipline. Zeke wanted to run the obstacle course, and I said, "Sure, go for it." I asked Eli if he'd like to do it. He replied, "If you go, I will." Being the Grammy I am, I couldn't say no. We walked tight wires, uneven bars, treaded through tires, and climbed bridges, and I only fell off once. Thankfully the course sat low to the ground, and I didn't have much chance of getting hurt. Eli, Zeke, and Ella Cate tried the course several more times while I basked in the glory of going once.

Sometimes, God tests us, He gives us challenges. If we think about them too long, fear may creep in. An attitude of "I can't" may color our decisions. But God won't leave me hanging if I take the challenge, or face the test. There is a saying "God won't give us more than we can handle." The truth is God won't give us more than He can handle. I can't rely on myself when I'm faced with trials, challenges, or circumstances beyond my control. I can however, depend on God. He has the power to overcome. He takes my fears and turns them into courage. Whether I believe in myself or not, I'm comforted by the fact that God believes in me.

Trust God with the challenges of life.

A Pop of Color

Every year the mimosa trees bloom. 

Like clockwork their pinkish puffs shoot from their fern-like leaves.

I trust they will pop with color every August. 

If I can trust a tree to bloom year after year,

I can certainly trust God.

He's bigger than anything that goes on in our world.

And He shows up every day.

For that I am thankful.

Trusting a Swing

Psalm 9:9-10

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

God has called me on an adventure of faith and trust.

When Hannah worked at Camp Lookup, I spent a week with her exploring the beautiful setting and experiencing an adventure. I hiked around the lake, met a little snake while I relaxed in the gazebo, and took photos of all the beautiful azaleas. Then the adventure happened. The camp has this huge swing that holds two people. Hannah and I climbed on the double seat and latched our harnesses (that's enough to scare a person.) A camp worker grabbed the rope and launched us into the sky. And yes, I screamed like a baby. But I had fun and trusted the swing to hold in place. As we sailed through the air, I believed I would be safely pulled back to the ground.

In Hebrews 11:1 the writer tells us, "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hannah had assured me the swing was safe or they couldn't use it for campers. Made sense. If I could trust something so simple as a swing, how could I not trust the God of the universe. 

The "hall of faith" in Chapter 11 lists many Old Testament warriors who had faith in God, even as they lived in uncertainty.

We are living in chaotic times. Anger, hate, and judgment mixed with opinions, sickness, and financial burdens cause faith to slip. Trust rings hollow. Yet, God remains the same. He's still there for me to depend on. He's still there for me to run to. I'm confident in the hope I have in Jesus. I trust him to see me through the hard times and celebrate with me in the great times. God hasn't gone anywhere. He's still my refuge.

Have faith in the one who loves you more than you know.

His Unfailing Love

Whom Shall I Fear

I'm human. 

I get scared. 

As I talk with family and friends, I hear fear. 

Fear that life won't get back to normal for a long while.

Fear of contracting a vicious virus.

Fear of fear.

Instead of living in a state of anxiety, I'm choosing to trust God

as I practice common sense and apply wisdom.

Do Not Fret

In Psalm 37:8 David writes, "do not fret."

Proverbs 12:25 says, "An anxious heart weighs a man down." 

In Philippians 4:6 Paul pens, "Do not be anxious about anything."

As difficult as it is to keep anxiety and worry at bay, God calls us to trust in him.

I've gotten up everyday this week, and repeated to myself: "I choose to trust in Jesus."

I have to verbalize it to keep myself calm and not worry so much.

Won't you join me in trusting in the God of miracles?

He Sees my Journey

Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

My granddaughter shared with me that she rode her cousin's horse. In the pictures she stood tall and handled the horse well. She was a natural.  I surprised her when I told her my family owned two horses and two ponies when I was young; Musket, Babe, Shotgun and Pistol.  She had no idea her Babaw (grandma) rode horses.

Photo by Maggie Wickline-Jowers

The strength and confidence horses exude gave me the trust I needed to climb into the saddle and ride Shotgun through our fields. God created pure beauty when he made horses. I admire their muscular grace. I trusted my pony would carry me across the rough terrain and then lead me home.

In Bible times, the people traveled by foot, horse, and chariot. They trusted their horses to guide them where they needed to go. Even as they relied on their horses they knew that animals could stumble and fall.

But God never fails.

My faith in Jesus outweighs everything. I place all my trust in the Lord because he never falls short . He has a plan for my life, and I do my best to follow the Holy Spirit's nudges and direction. I loved the freedom of riding Shotgun through the fields as the wind blew through my hair and the weight of the world fell away. By trusting God to guide me through life, I embrace the freedom of knowing he understands me and knows my needs. Sometimes fully trusting my life to God is hard. At times, I don't understand the whys and what fors. But God knows me, he recognizes my needs before I do. He created my path and sees my journey. I trust him with my life. 

What I've Learned

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Retirement has been a dream for me for the last five years. On May 1st it will be a reality. I've worked in libraries for twenty-four plus years; public, school, and academic. Twelve of those years, I spent encouraging children to read. I loved the joy on their faces when they found a book they liked. Reading to the kids in storytime and library class made my day. The other twelve years, I've worked as a technical services manager; the person who makes sure the books are searchable in the catalog. Through all of this, I've learned one thing—Trust God!

Even in a line of work where you'd think the environment would be quiet and calm, stress availed. On the days I wondered why God led me to work in libraries, I heard the Holy Spirit say, "trust God." So many times, I didn't understand decisions people made, the anxiety they caused or negative attitudes. God said, "trust me." So I did. On my desk I have a little sign that says pray.  And I do, everyday.

As I reminisce about my journey in the libraries, I see God's hand all over those days. Amid the negative and stress, many positive, happy memories pop up. I made some great friends and learned more than I can even write about. God knew what I needed far before I did. I just needed to trust him.

He knows my future and I trust him to guide me.

The Lord is my Rock

Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I had something else in mind to write today, but I've tucked those words away for another time. Instead, my mind and heart are with the folks who have been through or are waiting on the forces of nature that have let loose. Texans dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Harvey, Floridians and other southerners who watch and wait on hurricane Irma. The folks out west praying for rain to put out the wildfires.

Dan Walsh, an author whose books I've reviewed, lives with his wife in Florida. He's been giving updates on Facebook as they pray and watch the weather channel. After so many changes in predictions, Dan posted that he was putting the situation in God's hands. I would hope in the same situation, that I'd have the faith to trust God. But how difficult that would be. Worry loves to wiggle in and take over. But God counters those thoughts with instruction to trust him, even when the situation seems impossible. Don't think for a minute that I haven't fretted. I've done my share. But I'm thankful I have a place to go with my concerns.

I'm sure we all know someone affected by the disasters around the globe. Please join me as I pray for the folks in the eye of the storm.  

Proverb 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Why Worry?

The Muck of Worry

Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

When I was a young teen, I nearly drowned. I was swimming with my friends in their pond and I felt like I was pulled under. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't push myself up. Fortunately, my friend noticed and one of her brothers caught hold of me and tugged me out of the water. I don't know if my foot got trapped in the muck at the bottom or if a whirlpool caught me, but I was sinking with little hope of swimming my way out. Lately, I've had that overwhelming feeling that I'm caught at the bottom of a pond, struggling to swim to the top. That's what worry does.

Worry causes me to take my eyes off of the one who calms my soul. I'm not anxious about money, or my health. I'm not as anxious as I used to be about our kids. Although, I can still work up a good worry about them. But the one area that makes my anxiety go up, like the mercury in a  thermometer on a ninety-degree day, is my grandchildren. With Facebook, Twitter, newspapers and the news, I read way too much bad news. So far this summer I've read probably fifteen different stories about how bad ticks and mosquitoes will be this summer and the diseases they carry. People have posted lots of articles on water safety/tragedies. Then there are the other stories that I hate to even mention, that involve children. Please understand, I take all of this seriously, but I shouldn't let it terrify me.

Instead I should take my concerns to the one I trust the most. The God of all creation, who made the universe and counted every silver hair on my head. Our children and grandchildren are growing up in trying times. One tragedy after another. And all I want to do is protect them all. But that's not my job. No, my job is to pray. To ask God to watch after the little ones, and not so little ones. To seek God's guidance as I share life with them. Instead of spending time drowning in the depths of worry, I hit my knees and asked forgiveness for not trusting the one who holds my heart and the hands of our grandchildren. They are a valuable treasure, God has given me. Instead of worrying I want to spend my time encouraging them and teaching them about the hope I have in the Lord.

Worry is a pariah that results in paralyzing fear. Instead of worrying—pray and trust God.

He Meets Me Every Morning.

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

When is today not today? When I live in the past or long for the future. The days I can't let go of circumstances, the desire for the "good old days," or a lack of resolve over hurt feelings. How about the days I can't wait for vacation to roll around; or that longing for the weekend that starts dogging me on hump day? Then there's the fretting; what's going to happen, will this work out, will that fail. Today cannot be itself if I'm always looking back or leaning forward.

God wants me to let the past go. Learn from it, appreciate it, but let go of any hurts and forgive. He encourages me to trust him for tomorrow and all the days after that because he has them covered. Jesus urges his listeners in Matthew not to be concerned about tomorrow. Don't worry, each day has enough trouble without adding anxiety and stress.

God meets me every morning. He's with me each day. For that I am thankful.