Trust Fall
After a turn of events 6 1/2 years ago, my family moved just outside Memphis to North Mississippi. As we went out for a day of adventuring and getting to know our new city my 6th grade daughter, who is full of spunk, began to do “trust falls” as we walked the downtown sidewalks. As we walked slowly down the sidewalks, admiring all of the history of this incredible city, another family slipped around us to speed up. My daughter wasn’t paying attention and, as we walked, I heard “TRUST FALL”. As she fell back she didn’t realize she was falling into the arms of strangers. To our delight she was caught as she leaned against the crowd of unknown people. We all had a big laugh and still laugh about it to this day. Trust Fall has a very specific meaning to us now.
Trusting is natural as a child. You are born with trust. You trust that you will be taken care of. You trust that people or things will not hurt you. You have to be taught caution. We teach our children about stranger danger, crossing a street, staying close in a store or anything that they innocently trust. The more life experience you have, the more you realize people hurt, people let you down. Once that trust is broken it becomes more difficult to trust. The tables completely turn. It’s now a matter of learning to trust again, not learning to be cautious. A defense is developed, walls are built, and self protection rises up.
It’s now a matter of learning to trust again, not learning to be cautious.
Trust is a huge part of life and an even bigger part of your walk with Christ. If we can understand that trusting God means that we don’t have to live asking “Can I trust this person? Will this person hurt me?”, but that when you trust that your steps are ordered by God, (Proverbs 37:23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly), He delights in every detail of the lives of the godly, that you are protected by your father (Psalm 46:1 God is our protection and our strength), and He always helps in times of trouble., you don’t have to be concerned with how others may let you down.
The truth is, many people will break your trust. Your parents, your husband, your kids, the people you look up to most. This is part of living in a fallen world. Honestly, you will break trust, as well. There will be times you can’t come through, you will be dishonest, say the wrong thing or hurt people.
The good news is God can be trust. He CAN’T let you down. He never fails! It’s not possible for Him to break trust. If He said it, He will do it. If He promises, you can trust it. It will be up to us to decide to trust and believe. We can’t live by “What if?, What if He lets me down? What if He doesn’t come through?"
It can even be a matter of trusting yourself. “Did I hear him? Can I mess this up?”. STOP! We sometimes give ourselves too much credit. Are you more powerful than an all powerful God? Are you strong enough to mess up a plan God has in place?
Matthew 7:9 says “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Give God more credit. He loves you! He wants good for you! As I begin a new journey in raising teenagers, I’m having to trust in a new way. I’m learning to trust God with them and their future. All that I’ve learned about trust for myself, I now have to believe for my kids.That is proving to be more refining than anything!
If you TRUST Him and submit to Him, you are in a safe place. Gather everything in your life together in your arms and fall back into the arms of your loving Father! You can trust fall into his arms and He will catch you every time.
Trust Fall is ENTRY NINE in our Beneath the Surface blog series. Did this message speak to your heart? It would thrill us if you'd share it with the women under your influence and other ministry wives.
Ashley Simmons has been married to her wonderful husband, Tim, for 19 years. They have served in ministry together since the day they were married. Tim and Ashley have 2 beautiful children, Cole,16 and Kennedy, 14. Tim serves as Executive Pastor at Life Fellowship Church in Olive Branch, MS and Ashley serves on staff at the Guest Services Director. Her hobbies include "having two teenagers! It is quite time consuming." Ashley loves to write, share her story and minister to women. Before coming to Life Fellowship, Tim and Ashley traveled and spoke on the restoration of marriages. The tour was called, For Love For Life. The enemy wants to destroy the family but they have seen God turn ashes in beauty! Read more from Ashley at www.ashleylsimmons.com
