Trust
Without Borders
By Karen D’Amore
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding…”
Proverbs
3:5a (NIV)
The
song was playing on the radio on my drive to church, and by the end of Sunday
morning worship, we were singing the same song. Scribbling the lyrics on a
church bulletin…I found the penetrating words replayed in my mind for days:
“Spirit lead me…where my trust
is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet
could ever wander
And my faith would be made
stronger
In the presence of my Savior”
[1, emphasis added]
“Trust”…such
a small, but powerful word. Dictionary.com
defines trust as “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc. of
a person or thing; confidence; a person on whom or thing on which one relies.”
Trust…in
and of itself…is difficult enough, but “trust without borders” is a concept I
sometimes struggle to embrace. As a believer for many years, my trust in the
Lord has been an ongoing growth process. Using obstacles and adversity to drive
my faith-roots deeper into Him, God’s faithfulness in every (even confusing)
aspect of my life has reinforced my ability to trust Him. Hindsight reveals that
He has never forsaken me!
But,
in spite of God’s unwavering faithfulness, new obstacles tend to stir up doubt,
drawing me to place borders on my trust. Currently, as I am immersed in
confusing circumstances and injustices that stretch me beyond my comfort zone,
I find myself questioning God. When His methods of resolution and timeliness
differ from mine…my trust sometimes wanes.
Our
key verse exhorts us to “lean not on our own understanding.” As I meditate on
this Scripture, I’m learning that trust means
walking in obedience…in blind faith! Trust rests in God’s perfect plan,
regardless of how confusing or uncomfortable that process may be. Trust accepts
God’s ways even when it conflicts with ours. Trust abandons pre-conceived time
limits and waits patiently on God’s timing. Trust believes in God’s
faithfulness even when circumstances appear hopeless.
My
faith journey has resembled a strenuous hike through deep valleys, around blind
curves and over rugged terrain. Each, though, has been a necessary element to
build my faith muscles and deepen my ability to trust in God. Seeing God’s
faithfulness in the obstacles along that rugged path serves to develop and
strengthen the parameters of my trust. Recognizing that God’s ways were/are always better than mine helps diminish
my doubts.
As
my faith journey continues, I yearn for “trust without borders.” I pray my feet will obediently wander…where
my faith will be made stronger…in the presence of my Savior!
GOING DEEPER:
1.
What’s hindering your ability to fully trust God?
FURTHER READING:
Married
to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at
Craig Berns Salon and Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She’s
on the Oakwood Women’s Ministry Special Events planning team.
