FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021 WHO DO YOU TRUST - LOVE WINS

 FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021 WHO DO YOU TRUST - LOVE WINS

This took me back a few years to 1957!!!  This was a black-and-white television show called “Who Do You Trust.”  The stars were __________ (emcee) and _______ (announcer). (Can you name the two? Answer later).

Three couples would compete in $25, $50, or $75 questions.  The man would decide to trust himself or to trust his wife on a question.  The winners of the day would go head to head with the winners from the previous day for up to $500!!  

But, the title is significant - who do you trust?  

*** Yes, I was all of 10 years old when this show started - and it ran until 1963.  The emcee was Johnny Carson, and the announcer was Ed McMahon - who later did the Tonight Show for many years!!!

*****

So, WHO DO YOU TRUST?

This is LOVE WINS FRIDAY, and it is a day where I throw in more spirituality than other days.

Years ago, I was in a workshop and one of the topics was ‘trust’.  We formed a circle with one person inside.  Then that person was to go limp and fall to the side of the circle.  The participants were to support that person and to pass him/her around.  The idea was the person at the center of the circle had to trust his or her group to not let them fall.  

*****

If I was the center of the circle, could I trust you to catch me?  If you were the center of the circle, would you trust me to catch you?

*****

Let’s see.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:3-5)

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (Psalm 56:3)

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

*****

Yes, we need to have trust.  Trust is defined as: “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” 

Can I trust in my doctor?  Maybe - but doctor’s do make mistakes (they are human after all - to err is human, to forgive divine!!).  Can I trust in my professor?  (Lynette - absolutely, Me - most of the time!!!).  Can I trust in my clergy person?  Generally, but there are those who have shown themselves to be human and fallen from Grace.  Can I trust in my car?  Maybe - but cars do break down.  

And, maybe two big questions these days:

.1 Can I trust the government to do the right things?

.2 Can I trust my spouse to do the right things?

As for the first one, you might answer “It depends”.  The government (to me at least) is so big with so many agencies and directions.  Plus we change governments periodically so you may or may not trust the current government. 

As for the second one, hopefully your answer is “Yes, I can trust my spouse”.

About the only thing (person) that I can really trust is God.  

BUT, I can’t see God!!  I can’t call God on my phone!!  I can’t email God!!!  How do I KNOW there even IS a God?  

And, does God really know me and care about me?

Good questions.  All I really know about God is generally through written words - words written by humans over the centuries.  Different people in different cultures read different words.  

Going back to Isaiah 55 we have:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,  so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

But, for that to be ‘true’, we have to trust that Isaiah the writer was inspired.  After all, Isaiah was a human and humans are finite but God/Source/He/She is infinite!!!  Can we trust the Bible?  

Ahh - but that requires faith!!!  What if I believe in some other form of God/the Source - other than the Judeo-Christian view?  To me, it is a ‘trust’ issue.  Can I trust what is being said and what is being done?

*****

So - TRUST - “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” 

I “trust” that the bridge I drive across has the strength to hold up my car and the other cars on the roads.  I “trust” that the groceries I buy will not have salmonella 

And, I know that although I want people to trust in me, I am not 100% trustworthy.  I make mistakes.  So, by default, on this LOVE WINS Friday, I have to trust God - although I can’t see, hear, taste, smell the infinite SOURCE!!

LOVE WINS!!!

Karen