Trust Me

Trust Me

Our older son Scott designs and installs hardscapes, softscapes, and landscapes for homes in the area.  He loves to work outside, and his work can be labor intensive, in addition to being remarkably creative.  Because he is very strong and physically fit, his dad and I often save small tasks for when he is available to help.  Recently, he spent an afternoon with us.  While he was here, I remembered that I wanted to move the treadmill from upstairs down into the garage.  My husband often complains that the most exercise anyone gets from the treadmill is when I ask him to move it from one room to the other. 

Needless to say, neither my husband nor I could move the treadmill down a flight of stairs and out into the garage without help.  So, Scott was drafted to help.  As we positioned it to go down two flights of stairs, I was trying to shoulder my fair share of the load, feeling guilty because I wanted to move it before out of town company came and needed the upstairs room.  I was lifting and straining, thoroughly getting in the way, when Scott finally set the treadmill down and turned to look at me with a small amount of exasperation.

“Mom,” he said, “please quit helping.  You are going to get hurt and you are making this much harder than it has to be.  Would you just trust me to get this down the stairs without hurting you, dad, the wall, or myself?  Please just move out of the way, trust me, and let me take care of this.”

Sheepishly, I went down the stairs and into the family room, somewhat indignant that I had just been told that my help was unneeded and that, in spite of my good intentions, I was making something difficult even harder.  Nursing my wounded feelings, the Lord gently reminded me of Psalm 22.  King David’s pain was a reflection of the emotions that Jesus would experience on the cross of Calvary.  David’s only peace and encouragement is expressed in Psalm 22:8 as he declares that as did Jesus, he, too, trusted in the Lord and His deliverance. 

The word for trust in that verse is a fascinating word.  One of seven words used in the Old Testament and translated trust, this particular word is found only in this verse.  Its meaning is to trust in such a way as to ‘roll’ it off of one’s shoulders and onto the Jehovah. 

How many times have I gotten in the way of a difficult situation, trying uselessly to help a challenge which I may have only made worse?  How many times have I been intent upon doing my share to carry the load when what I really needed to do was trust?  How many times have I ignored the still, small voice of the Father as He called to me to simply roll the weight of the burden off of my shoulders and onto the sufficient shoulders of Jehovah God? 

Is there something in your life that you just can’t carry in your own strength?  Are you exhausted from trying to do it all yourself?  Ask your Heavenly Father to help you to learn to let go and roll what you really can’t carry onto the shoulders of the One is able, ready, and willing.  Trust Him.

© 2010 Gerry Sisk

(10/06/10)