Complete Trust

Have you ever been blindfolded and led somewhere? I hate those kind of activities. I always pull against the person trying to lead me, step gingerly and stumble a lot. I can’t find the will to trust the person leading despite the fact that they can see and I can’t. Even without knowing the way, I still wrestle to hold onto an element of control, which often leads to stubbed toes and grazed palms.

Not long ago, I was part of a group tour. There were a couple on the tour, one who had bad eyesight and her husband. And they were incredible. She trusted him implicitly. She walked confidently holding his hand, trusting that he would warn her of dangers and obstacles, and knowing that he had her best interests at heart.

And for his part, he gave clear instructions about where to step or where to avoid. He was patient and never once gave any indication that he resented that role he played in their partnership.

From what I could tell, he never missed out. She would wait patiently while he stepped away to take a photo (or stroke a dog, as this was a tour to a husky farm and the dogs were gorgeous and friendly!) and he would always return, take her hand and lead her on. And after each instruction around obstacles, getting into or off of the minibus, or any other information that was needed, the lady would say thank you. And not a cursory ‘thanks’ but a heartfelt thank you.

It was beautiful to watch the two of them interact, the trust and gratitude from one, and the patience and compassion from the other. And it got me thinking. What would it be like to trust someone enough to put faith in them like that, to step forward with confidence when I can’t see properly? And to have that level of gratitude to not take the assistance for granted? Ever?

That’s what our relationship with God could be like. Him, the patient, compassionate one with the ability to see more than we can, and us as the trusting, grateful ones. OK, so God doesn’t physically take our hands, but the premise is the same.

Bear with me, because the bible backs me up. Abram got told to pack up and leave everything that he knew and travel somewhere. The final destination wasn’t revealed. And yet, Abram did. The journey wasn’t without obstacles, but God provided a way out each time. Abram became Abraham, was blessed with a son and his descendents became the nation of Israel. His descendents included Joseph, second only to the Pharaoh, Moses, brought up in the Pharaoh’s household, David, King of Israel and Jesus. All made possible because he trusted and stepped out with God as his guide, one direction at a time, without being able to see the final destination. (OK, so I massively paraphrased a wonderful story. Read Genesis to get the full account)

The bible says that God is patient and full of compassion: multiple psalms, Jesus’ interactions with everyday people, the many letters that Paul wrote. The bible says that God is trustworthy and reliable (same places as before). We know that his plan is ultimately good (every time his people are in trouble, he sends help – read Judges – and if you fancy it, take a look a Revelations). But playing the part of the obedient, trusting one is hard. Some of us struggle to let go of control and trust the one guiding, even knowing their good intentions

While the bible says that God is good and trustworthy and compassionate, most of us will have put our trust in a person only to be hurt by them, on purpose, or accidentally. People are fallible. But that can colour our view of God. How can we trust completely when in the past that hasn’t turned out so well?

Because God is not like us. He doesn’t roll his eyes and give up when we take too long to learn. He doesn’t forget a promise. He doesn’t get a better offer and let us down. His are a safe pair of hands (and eyes) to trust. They want to lead you to the best possible destination.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes that means travelling through brambles or rocky ground that cause us to stumble and trip. But the way I understand it, that’s because the alternative is worse. Or maybe it’s because we’ve decided we know best and wandered off the path and God needs to get us back on track.

Another thought to add to this: sometimes there are multiple good paths and God let’s us choose. It isn’t a tight rope, with one wrong move sending you falling. And if you do take a wrong turn, there is nothing that God cannot redeem. Jesus saw to that when he died on the cross.

Oh, and the gratitude part? If you can find things to be thankful for, small and big, it helps to deepen the trust in the relationship. As you acknowledge the good directions, the care and patience God shows, it becomes easier to recognise those directions and to rely on the compassion of the one giving them.

So, as you read this, I encourage you to enter into that beautiful relationship, stepping out confidently with God as your guide. And on those occasions when you stumble or stub a toe, wait and listen. Your guide will lead you, if you let him.