Tuesday, October 23, 2012

When trusting is difficult

Sometimes it’s so difficult to trust especially when one has had nasty situations with life, God, events and relationships and even with certain people.  The ability to trust in the face of disappointing situations has been handled by many differently. By reason of such situations, many have placed a guard over themselves and as such become cautious or suspicious over similar or near similar situations. This trend seems human and we can’t place any rule or theory to govern how one will react after such disappointing situations. I have had my share of terrible disappointments as well as damning situations where trusting could be likened to astute stupidity. I sometimes relate distrust to un-forgiveness, so over time I have chosen to create excuse for every wrong which has helped me to deal with un-forgiveness as well as trust issues. A story I heard many years ago might shed some light and it goes like this.

It was in the evening after over 2 years of preparation, the day finally came when he will climb the tallest mountain in the village. The people gathered to watch this courageous mountain climber in excitement ready to set a record that will live through time. He started the climb through the night and the people left and hoped to return the next morning to see their champion at the very top of the mountain in excitement.
While he was climbing that night, the rock began to feel slippery and snow started falling. In the face of this seeming dangerous conditions, he pressed on hoping to hit the top of the mountain in due time. Suddenly, his hand got hold of a very slippery rock and he fell freely engaging every part of his body for a possible rescue. Luck shone on him when his hands got a good grab on a rocky edge. He hung on this rocky edge but with unsustainable balance from his legs and at that point he started praying to God for help. His body started feeling pain from a possible blow sustained from the rocks while he was falling. Fear gripped his heart vehemently as he stared at death in the face, and so he cried out the more to God to rescue him.
Then God spoke softly and said “release your hand from the rocky edge”. Is that you God he asked? I think my mind is deceiving me he thought, God can’t tell me to let go of this little hope I have and lead me to my death he quipped; so he kept hanging on while screaming to God in prayers for help.  God showed up again and said release your hand from the cliff. Because he can’t see below him due to the pitch darkness of the night, he yelled and said this can’t be God: he can’t allow me to die; he will rescue me somehow but not through this let go thing. This must be my mind or my enemies that don’t want me to succeed. They (my enemies) must have heard of my quest and want to do all to destroy my dreams. I can’t allow them to destroy me. The weather became very chilly and so he froze and died while hanging on to the cliff.
This next morning, the people gathered hoping to rejoice with their champion when they see him at the top of the mountain. Instead of seeing him at the top, they saw something like a frozen statue hanging from a part of the mountain. They rushed to see if he was their champion and were so sad and disappointed to discover that he was their champion and was more disappointed to see that he was hanging just a foot below the floor they were standing.

The story emphasizes the effect of fear on trust. This is the true picture of most people who are skeptical on trusting---FEAR. “I don’t want to get hurt again or I don’t want to be misled again” and many other seemingly good reasons have made many to ignore the inner voice that could aid soft landing. A clergy man once said “nothing is more valuable than insight to the journey of life, if you leave your life to chance, you don’t have a chance” (David Oyedepo). I have studied this quote thoroughly and couldn’t agree more. If we don’t live our lives like one playing a game of card where he takes it (life) as it comes but rather subject our mind to insight to purpose and or destiny, we will be able to choose our friends, the place we go or the things we do wisely. Our mistakes will as well be limited and not costly as those that live their lives like those that beat the air or play the game of card. However one chooses to interpret the story is up to the individual. In my strong opinion, insight is paramount and as such when it is very hard to trust that it is the time to trust hard.

3 comments:

  1. Wow...so true. I love the clergy's quote.
    You write great. ....well done. Continue to inspire us

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    1. Great...Thanks for the encouragement. I am grateful my dearest

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  2. Truth has become a scarce commodity, pple easily n readily lie, so its hard fr pple to just trust, I think to trust is divine. Fear shld propel one for greatness not hinderance.The ground or end to every situation is closer than we think.. This is a .... Work!

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