Chapter Six: Trust

After this chapter, we are halfway through our book study!  Although it has gone a little differently than planned, it has been a really good book!  I think I may post the remaining chapters 2 at a time....7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12.  That way we finish up and can switch gears a little, with summertime upon us (and kids out of school!).  :)

So, this chapter was no different than the others.....good stuff!  This book is not going to disappoint.

A few of my favorite quotes from the book:

Paula states..."A major turning point in my life came when I realized that being able to trust God is grounded in staking the whole of my being on the reality that He loves me."

On page 75, she says "Trust lies in the willingness to accept the particulars of how and when and where God chooses to intervene."  This, in my opinion, is the key.  So often we say we trust God, but then try to dictate timing, circumstances, and outcome.  Trusting is just that.......trust.  Period.  No matter what happens.  And that can be really, really hard sometimes.

You know I can't go another post without using a definition.  I mean, it's been a few posts!  Dictionary.com and I have become great friends, and I paid him a visit tonight. :)

One of the (many) definitions for trust fit perfectly into our chapter. 

TRUST:  to permit to remain or go somewhere or to do something without fear of consequences

I think that about sums it up, don't you?

Rinehart explains that the ability to trust rests in the absolute knowing that God loves us.  And allowing Him to do so.  She says on page 78 that "letting ourselves be loved by God is the place where we stumble upon trust."

"We think some grand achievement or someone's approval will finally baptize us with the sense of being loved.  (Did someone send her copies of my journals?  Was it you??)  But the need to trust is our invitation, over and over, to the place where we look into His face - and no one else's - and let ourselves be loved by Him.  We let ourselves be loved by God. Our hands release their grip on the reins of our lives and we stop trying so hard to be women with all the answers."

Ya.  I know.

"When you taste a measure of being able to love and enjoy the people in your life, without having to have any particular response from them, you are tasting bliss.  You can move out in life and don't have to have your parking ticket stamped by human approval to do it."

Seriously.  Is anyone else hearing this?  Or did she write this book for me? :)

Freedom.

Again, so much in this chapter....I could make several posts out of each one.  Read it if you have it, or just read my post, and let me know your thoughts!  A few more quotes that I just couldn't leave out...

From page 81: "Indeed, any serious grappling with trust will lead us to the heart of mystery, of all that God chooses not to tell us.........But accepting the mystery of what we cannot know will lead us to the heart of God where we trade our craving for explanation for a simple willingness to trust."

On page 83 she quotes Brennan Manning, "The scandal of God's silence on the most heartbreaking hours of our journey is perceived in retrospect as veiled tender Presence and a passage into pure trust that is not at the mercy of the response it receives."

And finally on page 85, "Your trust and willingness to take your sticky fingers off the steering wheel of your life rest on the risk that, in face, the goodness of God will catch you when you let go."

This is going to be one of those books that I keep and read again and again.  And if you borrow it from me, it may be a little worn out.

I pray that we can learn together to allow ourselves to be loved by God.  Really loved.  And in that place, we stumble upon trusting Him.  Pure trust.  No matter what.  No matter when.  No matter where. No matter how. 

See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. 1 John 3:1

As you know, I started this book study because of Angie and Jessica over at The Bloom Book Club.  They have had some delays (including the birth of Angie's beautiful baby!), but will be finishing the book soon as well.  So click here or on the button on my sidebar to visit their blog!

I'm posting this without proofing so have mercy! :)  Although I probably won't be able to sleep tonight wondering how many mistakes I made.......I'll probably come back and change it! :)

My daughter's Graduation in 23 hours!!  Woohoo!! Get the kleenex ready!

XO

Shelly