Who am I trusting?

Have you ever done a trust fall? The kind where you fall backwards and your partner catches you under the arms. I have. I was in the fourth grade and joined in with some kids who were doing this trust fall. I found a partner who I trusted could catch my body weight and we took turns falling. There would be the occasional bum that touched the ground during a close call fall, but no one was ever dropped. As kids were becoming bored of the game I was about to take my last trust fall. I checked to see if my partner was ready, put my arms out in the shape a "t" and leaned back. To my horror, the arms that I was expecting to catch me were absent and I was greeted with the unforgiving carpet-covered cement floor. The loud thud of my body hitting the floor rung loud in my ears and I laid there absolutely shocked. The air was knocked out of me and my head was throbbing from the encounter it had with the floor. I immediately looked for my partner in anger and disgust. I chose her as a partner for her strength, obviously not her attention span, which in my case was far more important. After I got over the embarrassment and pain of it all I vowed to never do another "trust" fall again.

My encounter with trust was broken.

The trust of humans fails. Everyone has had a promise that was broken and the sting of betrayal is hard to forget. With these broken trust experiences at the forefront of our minds, we often project those feelings and implications on God because few know any better or any other way.

Trust isn't trust until it is tested. It is easy to trust God when life is going perfectly. Do I still trust God when my hours get cut at work and I can't afford to pay rent? Do I still trust God when I am the only one of my friends who is still single? Do I still trust God when a member of my family gets diagnosed with cancer? When life looks bare and hallow with no possible way of solving things on my own, do I trust in Him?

Trust is easy until there is no other option but to trust.

 This is the type of trust where God has to intervene and make a way or it will be a complete disaster. This is the moment when I have to remove myself from the equation and surrender it to Him. The trust that I know He has my back, that He is planning things together for my good, and that He is in total and complete control. That He sees me in that moment and isn't going to turn away or make me deal with it on my own.

"You just need to trust God."

 I've said this before. I've genuinely meant it. I've really believed it too. But it's different when someone says it to me.

 What does that even mean? It seems too simple of an answer to my complicated questions. I've thought, "That's it? That's all I have to do? Where is my 7 step program to follow exactly and then wah-lah it's all fixed?"

I have to remember who I am trusting. He has never failed. Ever. To anyone. I am not trusting in man but in the God whose unfailing love surrounds those who trust in Him.

 Psalm 62:5  Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.

 Whatever you may be facing today, know that He wants to face it with you. He isn't intimidated by your circumstances. He isn't blown away by your questions. He knows you better than you know yourself and has everything that you will ever need. Pour out your heart to him in sincere unwavering trust.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Library

(This is my first guest post! Here is one by my good friend Andrew Figueroa. You can follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewFiggz.)

The Library. If you would've asked me during the summer what was the one thing that I was most looking forward to this upcoming year in college, I probably wouldn't have given that response. Now, two months into the new school year, the library has been my answer to pretty much every question that I'm asked particularly if it’s in relation to school which has been my whole life lately.

"How's Portland?"

"Is college hard?"

"What are you doing tonight?"

"How are your roommates?"

"Do you miss your family and friends?"

"What are you eating for lunch?"

"Are you having fun?"

"Is that your only response?!!"

  

The Library...

I think you pretty much get my point. As soon as the last class for my day ends, I walk right across campus and make my way to the George R. White Library and Learning Center. I pretty much have claimed this certain desk on the third floor as my personal spot or niche. It's here that I do a bit of everything from homework and studying to reflecting and taking naps.

There's really nothing special about this library (even though the school spent almost three million dollars three years ago to renovate it). It's your typical building surrounded with thousands of books, wooden furniture, computers and tons of students with various missions to accomplish. Sometimes, I just sit around and watch what all is going on around me to think to myself, "This is crazy!”

Think about this: the library has thousands of books with an infinite amount of information sitting on shelves for who knows how long. Some of those books will never ever get selected or picked up to even be skimmed over. Think about that adventurous novel out on the top shelf that at one point had many readers passionately devouring each page as if their life depended on knowing every ounce of detail as to what happens next to the main character. Or that best seller that had hundreds of young readers buzzing and carrying it around under their arm claiming it to be part of their everyday attire. Or how about that book that once would bring a smile to a child's face during bedtime with its many colorful pictures and descriptive wording. Nope, all of that is long forgotten. It's just a book.

I was just reflecting on this the other day and I realized that the world we live in is just like this library and the people around us are like the books on the shelves. The moment I set foot in the library, I am surrounded by tons of books containing valuable information but I rather sit at a desk and prop open my laptop and keep to myself, locating only information that will help me out. Instead of going to the library catalog and locating a book regarding a topic for a class, I'm content with the bare bones of information the internet will give me.

Where am I going with this? When was the last time we opened a book and found incredibly valuable information we wouldn't have found elsewhere? Better yet, when was the last time we ran into a complete stranger and had a meaningful conversation with them? We've all heard that famous cliché don't judge a book by its cover but I'm not evening talking about judging here but rather just opening the book of someone’s life.

There are many people in our community that society has placed up on the shelves and labeled them as irrelevant, insignificant, unwanted or unimportant. This can easily lead someone to feel inferior, rejected, insecure, hopeless or worthless. And sometimes these feelings have a tendency to target us as well. But what if we rejected those feelings and not made life about us. See, the only reason why our problems get bigger is because we're too focused on our situation.

What would happen if we could get beyond ourselves? What would happen if we opened up the story of someone else's life? We would be surprised to discover the value that God has placed not only in their life but also in our life.