Trust Me

Photo Credit:  Melodi2 from morgueFile.com

Over the last week or so, I read two different stories that were great reminders about what it means when the Lord says, “Trust Me.”  Not just “trust me” with the big stuff, but trust me…always.

The first story was sent to me by Aunt Irene and it’s called, “The Rope.”  (Author Unknown)

The story tells about a mountain climber who was desperate to climb the highest mountain.  He began his adventure after many years of preparation.  But, since he wanted all the glory for himself, he decided to climb the mountain alone.

The night felt heavy in the heights of the mountain.  The man couldn’t see a thing.  All was black.  Zero visibility.  The moon and the stars were covered by clouds.

With only a few short feet to go before reaching the mountaintop, he slipped and fell into the night air.  He fell at great speeds and could only see black spots as gravity sucked him down.  In those anguishing moments as he fell, the good and bad episodes of his life came to mind.

He thought about how close death was for him.  All of a sudden, the rope tied to his waist yanked him as he came to a screeching halt that almost tore him in half.  Like any good mountain climber, he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.  With only the rope holding him as he dangled, suspended in the still night air, he screamed, “HELP ME, GOD!  HELP ME!”

A deep voice came from the heavens and answered, “What do you want me to do?”  The climber responded, “Save me, God!”  “Do you REALLY think that I can save you?” asked God.  “Of course I believe you can,” replied the man.

“Then cut the rope,” God said.  There was a moment of silence and stillness as the climber hung there.  He decided not to cut the rope and just held on tighter with all his strength.

The next day, the rescue team reported that a climber was found dead and frozen…his body hanging from a rope.  His hands were strongly gripping it…only FIVE feet from the ground!

This amazing story concludes with Isaiah 41:13 – “I am holding you by your right hand – I, the Lord your God – and I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you.’”  Why do we doubt the things of God?  He will not forget us. 

How attached are we to our “rope?”  What “rope” do we hang on so tightly to that prevents us from trusting in HIS plan?  When will we let it go?  When will we just cut the rope and LET IT GO?  God has marvelous things planned, but we have to let go of the rope first.

There is a quote that my son, who adores fishing, shared with me the other day.  “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”  (Vincent Van Gogh)

I love the quote for many reasons.  For me personally, it is a reminder to trust.  Life will be unpredictable, just as the sea.  There will be storms and crashing waves.  But, if I trust that God has my hand, there is no reason for me not to dive in and enjoy the waters that this life has to offer. 

The second story I want to share is taken from Lou Holtz’s book, “Winning Every Day.”  It goes something like this:

A man’s car tumbled into a ditch.  He called on a nearby farmer to help, but the farmer said, “You’ll need a team of young stallions to pull that car out.  I only have one horse named Dusty and he’s old.  I’ll bring him over to the ditch and see what he can do.”

The farmer hitched Dusty to the car, snapped a whip in the air, and yelled, “Pull, Jimmy, pull!”  Dusty didn’t move.  The farmer snapped the whip again and hollered, “Pull, Sammy, pull!”  Dusty still didn’t budge.  He snapped the whip a third time and said, “Pull, Charley, pull!”

The farmer snapped that whip a fourth and final time and hollered, “Pull, Dusty, pull!”  With one mighty tug, Dusty yanked that car out of the ditch.  The driver was so grateful and shook the farmer’s hand.  “Thanks so much for freeing my car.  There is one thing that I don’t understand.  Why didn’t you just call Dusty by his name from the start?  He never moved when you called him by the other names.”

The farmer replied, “Dusty is also blind.  I had to call out those other three names first.  If Dusty thought he had to do it all by himself, he never would have even tried.”

This story resonates with me because at times, I feel a whole lot like Dusty.  If I really thought that I had to navigate this big ole world all by myself, I don’t believe that I would even try.  It’s too overwhelming to go it alone.  I find such comfort and strength in believing and knowing that God is there to help me, gently reminding me to trust Him along the way.  Always.  Big stuff, little stuff…always.

NOTHING is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)  I find such hope in those five words.  What is “nothing” anyway?  Nothing is zero, nil, zilch, nada, zip, nix…nothing.  So, NOTHING is impossible with God?  It’s so hard to wrap our finite minds around it, but if we can try to grasp the concept, we will certainly soar with a peace that is unmatched.

I encourage you to listen this week for the tender reminders of God saying, “Trust me…I’ve got this.”  And, then, slowly, finger by finger, let go of your rope.  He’ll be there to catch us.

Have a wonderful week, Sunshines!