She Can Laugh at the Days to Come

Whenever my breath is taken away by something other than Jesus (definitely not as good of a feeling), it usually involves something that is traumatic, shocking, or out of my control.  It can feel much like shock-waves going from the top of my head to my toes, causing my brain to scramble in an effort to figure out what is happing.  My toes have even been known to get tingly.  I hate that feeling. Such occurrences take me back to when we lived in Southern California and experienced the 7.1 magnitude Northridge earthquake. We were just about 8 miles from the epi-center, so it was a really big deal.  If you’ve ever experienced being in an earthquake, you know…it’s extremely loud.  We were awakened at 4:00 a.m., convinced that a freight train was making its way through our bedroom. We scambled out of bed, yelling for the kids. It was traumatic, to say the least. So why can I still get those same type of feelings when something catches me off guard?

Perhaps you can relate?  Please tell me you can!  Such feelings of utter loss of control and fear can be caused by something as traumatic as a terrible medical diagnosis, or as simple as an unexpected $700 bill that might as well be $7,000,000, because you just don’t know where you’re going to get that kind of money.  It can be a poor decision a loved one makes, a devastating blow in a relationship, a lawsuit, a loss of a job, or worse yet, a betrayal that you didn’t see coming.

I would like to think that I’ve come come extremely far in my responses. Years ago such situations would cause a panic to rise up in me resulting in loss of sleep, stomach pains and paralyzing fear.  But now…as we’ve had the opportunity to experience more life (the good part of growing older), and have seen God come through time, after time, after time, Stan and I will often look at each other (after my toes stop tingling) and say, “It’ll work out.  It always does.”  Translation:  God’s not caught by surprise.  He’s not going to drop the ball this time.  We may have a few difficulties to overcome or a not-so-fun season, but….He’ll work it out.  He always has and He always will.

In Psalm 112, versus 4 and 7, the Psalmist proclaims, “Even in the darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man…He will has no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”  The Psalmist knew…it always comes back to trust.  Which makes me ask the questions: Why is trust/faith always such a struggle? Why is it something that we find ourselves having to fight for, in an effort to keep it within our grasp?  Why isn’t it something that once attained, it’s ours for the keeping? Why is faith so important? Why can it be so difficult?

Could it be that it’s because faith is the very basis, foundation, first step, in acquiring a relationship with Christ?  It’s also the main ingredient required to continue relationship with Him.  It’s needed every single day, if not every single second.  It’s also the most required ingredient in our daily pursuit of Him. It’s like air.  We have to have it.  It’s not an option.  Can’t live without it. It’s required to believe that He is who He says He is and I am who He says I am. 

Trust – our ability and intent to acquire it – impacts our perspectives, abilities, desires, integrity and countenance.  If affects our courage, or lack thereof.  It often determines if we get sleep or not.  It can even affect how we treat others.  If we don’t have enough of it, it can mess up our relationships and it can cause havoc in our marriage – all because we don’t trust Him to guide us along the way.  It’s crucial, to say the least.

So how can we increase our trust?  Please excuse me for singing the same song over and over, but there’s no short-cut.  We must be in His Word, in prayer with Him, and in relationship with those who have great faith.  We need to surround ourselves with individuals who seek to increase their own faith.  We need to listen to their stories and how they maneuver through challenges, clinging to God and His promises.  We need to ask them questions.  Lots of questions. We can also ask God to increase our faith – getting honest in admitting that we need more. One of my favorite statements in the Bible is when a father of a sick child proclaimed to Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  God loves it when we get honest with Him.

As our faith increases, our courage, countenance and ability to trust also increases.  Even when it seems the darkest, we will not fear bad news.  Our faith muscles, as they develop, will allow us to look at challenges differently, seeing them as a greater opportunity not only for God to do the miraculous, but for us to grow in the process, preparing us for what lies ahead.

I think of the Proverbs 31 woman.   You know, the one we all love, yet at the same time, she secretly intimidates us to the very core of our beings.  Over the years, I’ve actually come to love her.  I think she’s amazing.  She’s a faithful wife, a great mom, and a hard worker. She speaks with wisdom.  She isn’t lazy.  She runs a home like clockwork, and her husband thinks she’s awesome.  She helps the poor and needy.  She even sews, for goodness sake (something I have “0” desire to do)! But my favorite thing about her is found in vs. 25: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”  That’s trust, my friends.  She definitely had it mastered. Her laughter says it all.

May we all be like that amazing Proverbs 31 woman, being so rooted and clothed in trust and faith in our God, that no challenge, calamity or disaster can shake, rattle or make our toes feel tingly.  May we all “laugh at the days to come,” because we know it’ll all work out…it always does…as our hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. As always, we can do this. We really can.

Much love and thanks for reading!