First of all, hi! Second, WOW I love your responses to the survey. Thank you thank you thank you! You are a fascinating people. I’ll share more later. But I am honored and encouraged by your answers.
You know how we all have parts of ourselves that might get blown out of proportion? Well, this blog is one of mine :)
In an effort to “be a responsible blogger” and “handle your trust well” I’ve been afraid to take a break. And not completely without reason. The reality is numbers have been down this week a bit.
But we believe in things that can’t always be seen or measured or weighed. Right? Right! And so in terms intentionally inviting Trust to be in the driver’s seat and telling Fear to “shut-up and stop your back seat driving,” I think responsible blogging can involve breaks. I don’t think fear will ever move completely out of the car — and that is OK. I’m getting better about recognizing her whining voice from the back seat, “Are we almost there?” and to let her know that she’s welcome in the car, but not to drive it.
While gone, I read most of Brennan Manning’s Ruthless Trust. Let me come clean and say, I may be the only person who deeply appreciates the person and contribution Manning has made to living a life of faith, but The Ragamuffin Gospel is one of the few books I only read half. Then on his blog Shawn Smucker’s said “Manning’s examination of ‘trust’ in this book changed the way I live my life. I cannot recommend it enough.”
Trust + live changing book = must order from the library.
And I’m thankful I did! Like Shawn, I recommend it. In terms of this year’s journey with Trust, there is an equation (and my mind can remember equations).
“Faith arising from the personal experience of Jesus as Lord.
“Hope is reliance on the promise of Jesus, accompanied by the expectation of fulfillment.
“Trust is the winsome wedding of faith and hope.
“In Luke’s Gospel, the centurion professes his faith in Jesus with the words, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have your under my roof,’ and hope in his promise, ‘but give the word and let my servant be healed’ (7:7). Then, ‘taken aback, Jesus address[es] the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel.”‘ (7:9, The Message)
“Faith + hope = trust.”
Trust can’t be reduced to a simplistic formula, but as I’ve taken this one out to test drive it in reality, I can the ways in which it’s simple enough to help me get at the root of what may be going on.
Am I having troubles with faith? With hope?
Later in the chapter Manning says, “Like faith and hope, trust cannot be self-generated. I cannot simply will myself to trust. What outragious irony: the one thing that I am responsible for throughout my life I cannot generate. The one thing I need to do I cannot do. …. What does lie within my power is paying attention to the faithfulness of Jesus. That’s what I’m asked to do: pay attention to Jesus throughout my journey, remembering his kindnesses (Ps. 103:2).”
What a gentle relief that trust isn’t related to willing or my actions. Instead, it’s related to a whole-hearted, broader approach to life. To paying attention to what Jesus is doing. To look for kindnesses. To taste and see that the Lord is good even though life is hard.
The above photo was taken when a niece called out, “Aunt Amy, take a photo of this ladybug! Hurry!” And then I took this one just to be sure I had captured her vision. “Did you get it? Did you?”
Yes dear one, I did. More than a photo, Jesus is using girls and joys in bugs. He is extending kindness to me in a stead stream of moments.
Where have you seen faith and hope help build your trust recently?
********
Here’s the deal for the link-up:
- Every third Tuesday I’ll host a link up. Trust + Tuesday + Third = three T’s and I don’t have to mark my calendar with different dates! Just remember TTT. The next one will be on July 24th and you can get more details here. The link up will be open for one week, after one week, you’ll need to wait until the next month.
- Please link back the link-up, either by using the Trusting Tuesday picture or simply a text link.
- I’ve also started a Pinterest Oneword365 board and want it to be a community board (meaning let’s have our Oneword365 posts all in one place!). Check it out!
- If you miss a month, don’t beat yourself up. This will go on for the next twelve months and isn’t meant to overload you or make you feel guilty. We’re going to be a group of cheerleaders.
[inlinkz_linkup id=417512 mode=1]
I thought the linkup was on the 24th this month, or am I losing it??
Great thoughts and I can definitely relate! I read The Ragamuffin Gospel when I was in college, but know I would get much more out of it now.
What a simple but incredibly powerful revelation – that we cannot WILL ourselves to trust, that trust cannot be self-generated. I’m going to have to think about that for a good long time, because truth be told, I suspect I’ve been trying to will myself to trust all along (and no wonder it’s not working). Nice work here, Amy. {and way to go, taking a trusting break from blogging!}
I’m glad you took a break, Amy. Scary, isn’t it? I didn’t take a real break until 1.5 years in, then a one week break extended to two – it was good and necessary. I’m glad you’re still doing this link-up as it reminds me to think about (pray about) my one-word. Mine is “open” and I’m feeling a little lost right about now as to what that means for this year, but I like the idea that God can be working that out in me somewhere beneath my awareness, I don’t have to be willing my way all of the time! Have you read Abba’s Child by Manning? That one was a life changer for me.