Trust is hard

For the last couple of months, we've been faced with a lot of situations where we just have to step into a dark place, not really knowing what was on the other side.  Although our situation is unique, it almost has this timeless character. For generations, Christians have been behaving in seemingly dangerous ways, all in trust of God.  It's the Christian experience; learning who your life belongs to, yours or His? My life still belongs to me, but I'm learning how to hand it over piece after piece.  It's not easy... so it makes the list of the latest Holy Irritations.

There is a great Mother Teresa story (don't you just love MT stories?), about a man from the United States who fell in love with Christ and just knew that God had something magnanimous for him to do.  He left his job, and began searching.  After a while, he became a little impatient, because he felt that God had not given him absolute clarity in what he was supposed to do with His life.  He packed his things and decided to go and work with Mother for a while in Calcutta.  When he finally got the chance to meet Mother, he thought he could ask her to pray for him through his discernment.  So he approached her with this question, "Mother, will you pray for me? I know that God wants me to do something great with my life, I just don't know what it is.  Will you pray that I have complete clarity from God as to what it is that He wants me to do?  Once I have clarity, I will do it."  And Mother, in her sweet Mother Teresa way, said, "No. I won't pray for you for that.  I never once in my life had clarity as to what God wanted me to do.  I will, however, pray that you Trust Him."  

Trust, not clarity is what we need during our transition.  When I try and begin to figure out just how God is going to make all the mission work, I get bogged down and begin to panic.  When I live in such a way that is completely vulnerable to God's will, I have freedom and peace.  He knows what's best for us.  He's our Father. 

Please pray for the Hickmans, that we never have clarity in what we are supposed to do, but that we completely trust God each day and each step.  

peace+

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