Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I woke up with a lot of things on my mind this morning and I couldn’t get into the Presence of the Living God fast enough because of it. All of those thoughts about all of those things whirling around in my mind had the potential to consume my day and cause doubt in my mind if I’m not careful. No amount of human intervention can manage all of those things in my mind, and no amount of thinking them through will make them any less challenging to bear. But no matter how cluttered my mind can be with a zillion tiny pieces floating around, I know the Living God has control of it all and that all I ever need to do is Trust Him. Isn’t this the way you Manage the Journey called Life too?

Trusting isn’t always easy, especially for those who have been hurt. Sometimes all it takes is a little sting from someone who disappoints us with their words or their behavior, and we withdraw faster than you can say “amen.” From that point forward we’re happy to either give them the cold shoulder OR we remind them over and over again about why they aren’t worthy of our trust. Sadly, more often than not, we never extend trust to them again. Instead, we hold it reserves for a time when we might have the chance to strike back for all the ways they’ve hurt us. We take “an eye for an eye” to the emotional level until it becomes a cancer of the Heart and the Soul. It’s not a pretty sight to encounter people with “trust issues”. They can talk until they turn blue about all the things that have been “done to them” and all the reasons the world is not worthy of their trust, and their bitterness shows from the inside out. Some will fly off the handle at the slightest hint of something that reminds them of a time of “betrayal” and they live life armed and ready to do battle. No kindness, compassion, or love can be seen in these people as they fester over the wrongs that others have committed against them…refusing to let go. Trusting is a choice, and refusing to trust again after we’ve been wronged has more to do with Forgiveness (or the lack of it) than anything else.

It’s ONLY when we can look at Life through a Spiritual Set of Eyes that we learn to put things like Trust and Forgiveness in Heavenly Perspective. When we look through a Spiritual Set of Eyes we’re able to look at ourselves with 20/20 vision and we can see ALL of our own Wrongs that have been Forgiven and covered with Unconditional Love. It’s when we look at Life through a Spiritual Set of Eyes that we learn to turn the other cheek, and we learn to extend Grace. It’s when we look at Life through a Spiritual Set of Eyes that we realize that the one doing the wrong against us will be dealt with by the Hand of God without any help from us at all, and it’s when we look at things that way that we learn to extend Compassion. It’s when we look at Life through a Spiritual Set of Eyes that we understand that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” and we know who the REAL enemy is AND we realize that if we aren’t Armed and Ready, we have the potential to do the same wrong against someone else! When we look at Life through a Spiritual Set of Eyes it’s impossible NOT to remember the BIGGEST BETRAYAL of all times. When Jesus was betrayed and sent to die in the most painful and shameful way imaginable, He found the strength to say what was on His Heart; “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. It’s when we look at Life through a Spiritual Set of Eyes that we understand that if we fester with Unforgiveness in the Heart and we refuse to trust because of our pain…it’s impossible to Trust Him or to truly Understand the Sacrifice He made for all of those wrongs we’ve committed against Him too. To Forgive and to Trust is a CHOICE.

I had some things whirling around in my head this morning and my thoughts were as scattered as stars in the sky. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that all of those thoughts were a Sign of my lack of Trust in the Living God, and after a little time in the Spiritual Woodshed, I’m looking at Life with a Spiritual Set of Eyes all over again.

How about you? Do you REFUSE to extend trust and forgiveness and do you live your life like you’re the one in charge of Balancing the Scales for all those Wrongs? If so, reach out to me. I’ll sit you down and explain what Forgiveness really looks like and I’ll explain the consequences of refusing to Trust, and when I’m done with you, Grace will be your middle name and you’ll be turning the other cheek faster than you can say “Amen” too.