This fall a new word started to pop up around the edges of my soul.
There are times when God gives us freedom to make choices. And there are times when He stalks us like a lion at a watering hole coming upon a tasty gazelle.
Trust, Amy, Trust.
Trust?! How about laughter? Or Risk? Anything that doesn’t bring to mind a cosmic trust walk. Remember being blindfolded and asked to trust your guide?
But God isn’t playing a cosmic game with us. When he asks us to trust, it’s not for raw sport. It’s for our growth and maturing.
When God stalks you, it might be for more than your growth and maturing. It might also be for your preparation.
I’ll show you my cards a bit (and probably reveal more about where my security lies). In the deep recesses of my soul, I thought trust was mostly related to NOT financially freaking out as I’m going through a major life transition.
Cue the cosmic laughter.
Again, I do not think God is playing with me; the laughter is more about how incomplete and short-sighted I am. It’s really more of a gentle chuckle from someone who sees and knows far more than you. God knew what was coming, and in his mercy, began to prepare me last in the fall.
I’ve blogged through this process and you can read more at The Messy Middle, but the short version is on Tuesday, January 28th my sister and I took our Dad to the ER thinking he was dehydrated after eight days of stomach flu that was intermittent. Turns out he was in acute renal failure and was admitted to the ICU. Friday, January 31st he was moved out of ICU after having his gallbladder drained while we all waited for his kidneys to wake up. All the while exploring rehab facilities.
The very next day we were told he had two choices: go on dialysis (a gruesome process due to other health complications) and live three to six months OR not go on dialysis and die within a few weeks. We moved from looking for rehab facilities to long-term acute facilities. After an agonizing weekend, the decision was, thankfully basically removed from our hands (though all family members were on the same page) and on Monday, February 3rd Dad was moved into “comfort care” and was no longer being treated.
He died less than two days later and his memorial service was on Monday, February 10th. Do you see why I laugh at the thought of “trust” being about money? Eight days after we thought Dad was dehydrated, we were planning a memorial service for kidney and liver failure. Money pales in comparison.
Trust, trust, trust.
In early January I decided to host a monthly link-up because I do better with accountability and wanted to be tuned in to how God was at work. The link-up will be the third Tuesday of each month, which is today!
Here’s the deal:
Every third Tuesday I host a link up at The Messy Middle (you can get more details here). The link up will be open for one week, after one week, you’ll need to wait until the next month.
I’ve also started a Pinterest Oneword365 board and want it to be a community board (meaning let’s have our Oneword365 posts all in one place!). Check it out!
If you miss a month, don’t beat yourself up. This will go on for the next twelve months and isn’t meant to overload you or make you feel guilty. We’re going to be a group of cheerleaders.
How has your OneWord365 been coming to life?
Amy Young is readjusting to the messy middle of life in the US after more than twenty years in China. The distance didn't impede her passion for the Denver Broncos or the Kansas Jayhawks but she is enjoying cheering them during the daylight hours without having to get up freakishly early Monday mornings. When she first moved to China she knew three Chinese words: hello, thank you and watermelon. Often the only words really needed in life. She is known to jump in without all the facts and blogs regularly at messymiddle.com and tweets as @amyinbj and is the most non-crafty pinner Pinterest has ever seen (but she's having fun!).