Trust

The trouble with kids is, they trust everybody. Unfortunately, in this day and age, you have to teach them not to trust anyone. And I mean anyone.

That works counter to our basic instinct. Trust is built into the human framework. Our parents, of course, are the first people we learn to trust; then our extended family, one by one; our neighbors; as we move off to school, our teachers; and the circle rapidly expands to pets, pediatricians, policemen, postmen, pastors....

But there are a few other "p" words that come to mind that are not so friendly, like 'peeper', 'predator' and 'pedophile'. Sadly, we need to teach our children not to talk to strangers, what 'good touch' and 'bad touch' is, and even to be aware of how close coaches, teachers, scout or youth leaders, even other family members come. We see the shattered lives of these young victims in the news every day.

One of our neighbors came from a home like that. She was a young mom who had been sexually abused as a child by her father. Her FATHER. At the time I knew her, she was trying to be a good mom and wife, but she had no basis for what a 'normal' family should look like. At around the age of 30, it all started unraveling. It broke my heart to see how pervasive and far-reaching the effects of her abusive childhood were in her life.

Who CAN you trust these days? Well, maybe from God's perspective, even such despicable evil can be redeemed. It's almost as if He's saying: "When everyone else disappoints you, trust Me. . ."

. . ."Trust Me with your hopes, your dreams, your hurts, your failings,. Trust me with your future, your past, the next step in your relationship. Trust me with your addictions, your gifts, your deep longings. Trust me to take your brokenness and make it into a new creation. Trust Me. Trust Me."

If you can't trust your father or your coach or your teacher, who can you trust? Only the Everlasting Father, the Creator of the Universe, the Good Shepherd, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He never fails. He never disappoints. He is trustworthy.

And that's Trust with a capital T.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me." John 14:1

"In you, LORD my God, I put my trust." Psalm 25:1