Trusting—One Day at a Time

After the upbeat tone of my blog post last week, I sit writing this one in a rather different place. For one thing, all that’s happening in my life has led to my over-extending myself and I’ve caught a bug of some sort. This has meant I’ve had to step back from some obligations in order to rest because this weekend we are once again in Tucson, house-hunting.

House-hunting, however, has not been as straightforward as house-selling. We put in an offer after our first visit to Tucson, and it was rejected because it was contingent upon the sale of our house here. This is not that unusual—sellers prefer a transaction that’s not dependent on another one—but our reaction was still, naturally, disappointment. Then, last week, two of the houses we were most interested in viewing this weekend were gobbled up before we could even get to Tucson to take a look.

I told a friend of mine about what happened, and her response was, “Remember God’s fingerprints are already all over this process.” My response to her was, “Yes, God is truly all over this, which is part of what’s driving me nuts…why can’t I trust!?!?!? Sigh…. Maybe because I’m not feeling well….”

And that is a deep truth that bears remembering. Even when we know, in our heart of hearts, that in the big picture, all will be well, it can be difficult to live through the day-to-day process that gets us there. Whether it’s collecting boxes and beginning to pack up our belongings, spending hours assessing pictures and data for dozens of houses online, or trying to keep up with the flow of work in the midst of it all, adding a major change to an already-full life is not an easy task.

And so I’m trusting, sometimes more successfully than others. One day, perhaps a year from now, I imagine being able to look back and see God’s fingerprints more clearly. Fortunately, in the meantime, I’ve got friends to hold me in prayer, to shine light on the bigger picture when I’m unable to take that wider view. I’ve done it for others, and I give thanks to God for those who are doing it for me now.

When have you been able to shine that light for others who are struggling? When have you been the recipient of the support of friends and loved ones during difficult seasons? Take a moment to give thanks to God for both the giving, and the receiving.