One toe at a time

Trust can be the scariest thing ever. Trusting another person with a secret/your life/that heirloom vase is something that humans just don't want to do. Personally, I find it difficult to trust anyone, even to the point of withholding parts of myself from those who love me the most. The idea of knowing that someone else holds that power over me... it's enough to make me feel entirely too vulnerable.

I know it's sort of ridiculous to think that way. After all, if someone loves you and/or has an ounce of kindness, they wouldn't betray your trust, correct? But sometimes things just happen. Sometimes we find ourselves revealing secrets that aren't ours to tell. My theory is that everyone trusts someone. Sure, I think, I can tell so-and-so anything, right? And I can, and they won't tell anyone else. Anyone else, that is, except for that one person that they trust to keep secrets. Who, in turn, trusts yet another person (but he/she would never tell anyone!) with that secret.

And most people don't purposely set about to air other people's laundry (dirty or clean, either way) for all to see, but, as I said, often it just happens. And, as I like to say, the only way to keep a secret is to not tell it in the first place.

If I were to hold things inside, nobody would have that power over me. But that brings it all back around to trust. If I form carefully constructed walls around myself, I'll never experience life as it was meant to be lived. Not to sound too cliche, but if I surround myself with walls, I'll miss out on feeling the wind in my hair, miss out on all but few brief moments of sunlight. I'll even miss out on the sights and sounds that would be blocked by such a wall.

Life is meant to be lived. I'm not sure how much pain we were really intended to experience (that whole sin/free will thing: ick), but I do know that it's only when you trust those around you that you'll grow closer to them.

Like with the Lord. You know as well as I do that if we just let Him do His perfect work, and trusted Him with our every circumstance, not only would our lives go more smoothly, but we'd draw ever closer to Him.

So I dare you to take that step of faith. Tell your sister something you wouldn't normally tell her. Stop worrying about what tomorrow will unfold, and rather give it over to the One Who holds tomorrow in the hollow of His hand.

And if you can't take a whole step, well, try a toe. Not all of us have the ability to jump into the water. Personally? I like to ease myself in, one toe at a time.