By Linda Brupbacher
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3: 5&6
One way I find God anew is to remember past instances when I keenly experienced his presence. He has been with me in times of crisis, & I constantly need to be reminded of that. I seem to need to learn over and over again: ?Fear not. Even when things look frightening or bleak, do what you can do and then trust God with the outcome. Relax, trust, and ultimately it will be OK.?
I can remember many examples. One happened when I went through cancer treatment. As a single mom, I not only had cancer (a pretty scary proposition in and of itself), but also the sole responsibility of supporting and caring for my two teenage children. I feared that there would be no one to care for my kids if the treatment didn't work. I also feared that I wouldn't be able to financially support us during the treatment because I had to step down from my administrative role and thus earn less. Unexpectedly (and with no initiative on my part), a principal called with a lucrative consulting offer. It was a type of work I?d never done before. Even after I explained to her that I didn't really have the skills and experience that the task required and that I was ?half loopy? from the treatment, she hired me. This made it possible for me to earn even more money than what we needed during the years of my treatment. Much later, I am cancer free and my kids are grown. Looking back, I can see that God's hand was at work in all of this. Remembering that helps me trust God and feel his presence now. When I trust him, I experience the nearness of God, hope and the peace that only God can.
