"T"rusting the "U"n"W"avering "V"ine

Yes, yes, I know...I'm 4 days behind but I've gotten creative on how to use T, U, V and W today and I have been waiting to blog about the "Vine" so it works perfectly.  So, without further ado, let's get this challenge caught back up.

Does anyone else have trust issues?  I most certainly do.  I had a hard time letting go and trusting my now husband after my divorce.  I just couldn't let go of the hurt and pain that came with the lack of trust in my first marriage.  And that poison created chaos in my next relationship.  It took a lot of work for me to trust Chris.  Not because he's not trustworthy but because I had a deep hurt.

I often times have a hard time trusting people in general.  I look for the reason not to trust them so that I won't get hurt.  It's not the right way to live since Jesus commands us to love each other.  And then, then there are times that I just don't trust God.  Those are the most difficult times because there should never be an opportunity that I don't trust God.

God is completely trustworthy.  He is unwavering, constant, always good.  He is the only one I should be trusting all the time.  God has given us a road map full of His promises in the Bible.  Spending a passing moment in the Bible instead of meditating on the words of God is selling yourself short of the opportunities for God to really show you His promises.  It's taking away the moments that God has to share with you through His word.

One of my favorite scripture passages is in John 15, Jesus tells us,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.- John 15:5-8

Jesus is our vine.  We are the branches.  We are to trust that He will keep us attached to Him at all times but to do that, WE must continue to bear fruit, to be obedient, to be in His word.  We can't just sit here and think that Jesus will just prune us and grow us without trusting Him for every step.  No friends, we must commit to a life of following Jesus in all times.  Trust is hard.  Losing trust in someone hurts.  But God already knows the plans and purposes for each of our lives.  He is the vine.  He is constant.

I have seen God testing my trust this first year that Matthew has been in college.  Mind you, he's been living at home and commuting each day but it has still been an adjustment.  I'm one of those "smothering mothers".  I own every ounce of it.  He's my boy.  He's the love of my life.  He's my gift from God.  And this year, I've had to let go of a lot of that Mothering.  Matthew is growing up and finishing his freshman year in college.  I can't be the same type of Mom I was, it's time to trust God and step away from that role and into my new one.  It's so hard friends.  So, so hard.  I want to fix it.  I want to make it better.  I want, I want, I want.  But what I want isn't what God wants for me or for Matthew.  This year I have had to force myself to let God have Matthew.  I have had to literally say out loud, "Lord, I give him to you.  Protect him, guide him, turn his heart back to you.  I trust You with his life".  Those are hard words to swallow.  Even harder words to say out loud where God can hear them.  (as if he didn't already know what was said in my head)  As a Mom, it is hard to let go but that is the beauty of our God.  His hands are bigger, stronger and far more capable of protecting and loving for our children.  So, I'm learning to trust in this new season as a Mom.  I'm learning everyday.  And everyday is a challenge, BUT God is right there with me.  And He's right there with Matthew.  And yes, I know Matthew will fail sometimes but I pray, oh how I pray, that he will turn his heart towards the Lord that loves him and trust Him for the next step.

Trusting the unwavering God in all times allows us to find joy in our lives.  Trusting God gives us opportunities to praise Him through the storms and praise Him through the triumphs.  Proverbs 4:3-4 tells us to, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  Acknowledge Him in all our ways. Trusting Him in all our ways.  He is unwavering and able to be trusted with all parts of our lives.

A friend of mine gave me a little book, God's Wisdom for Mothers.  Fitting no?  God knows what we need before we even realize it.  In it, it has a section on how God teaches mother's to trust Him completely and various scriptures are listed.  I believe, in this new season of Mothering, that I am going to start praying these verses from Psalms over Matthew.

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, 

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; 

He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even furthermore.  Psalm 121:5-8

I invite you to find your scripture to pray out loud so that you can find the peace and the trust that God has promised you.  God knows all the plans He has for us.  He's promised to give us hope and a future in Jeremiah.  And so we must put all our trust in the unwavering promises that God gives us.  He is our vine, we are the branches.  Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going.  He always keeps his word.  Hebrews 10:23