My Ellie… Our type A, planner, organizer, have.to.know.how.everything.is.gonna.work.out little lady is having a rough go of being nine years old. Life is sure meeting her straight on with opportunities to stretch her character and grow in maturity… or not. It really is up to her and how she chooses to respond.

Small interaction to show you what I’m talking about:

Ellie had this sore on her knee. Not unusual, as she lets me know about most of her bumps, bruises and scrapes (she does, after all, want to make sure everything is going to be okay.) This one she showed to her dad first. He mentioned it to me when I returned home that night, after she was asleep.

Tucking her in for bed a few days later, I (finally) remembered to ask.

Ellie got nervous. She wanted me to take care of the spot but she didn’t want it to hurt. She fussed. She said her hand felt funny, her stomach jumpy. Things were going downhill… and fast.

I took her hands, looked right in her eyes and gently asked, “Do you trust me?”

Elanor’s voice quivering a little while she regained composure, “Yes, momma. Why?”

“Remember how we talked about trust? Do you believe that I love you and have your best in mind, that even when you don’t like it or if it hurts for a little bit that I’m doing what is best for you and will take care of you?”

“I trust you mom. I’m just a little scared.”

Step by step I reminded her of those facts. We worked through her feelings, what I was going to do and coping skills she could use… Didn’t stop the pain… Didn’t stop her from worrying… and yet, when it was all said and done, Elanor smiled, hugged me and said, “Thank you mom. It wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

Oh goodness…  Let me tell you, I didn’t get to her door before the words I’d spoken were echoing in my own mind.

“Do you trust me? Do you trust me to do what is best for you even if you don’t like it or even if it hurts?”

Do I trust God?

Do I trust God to do what is best for me… even if I don’t like it… even if it hurts?

We can trust God in a Jeremiah 29:11 kind of way, when God’s plans are to prosper us and bring us a hope and a future.

But what about the Psalm 23 moments as we face the valley of the shadow of death moments of life? Or when we’re facing a Hebrews 12 time of painful discipline? What about  a Psalm 13 moment when our heart cries, “How long?”

Can we choose trust that is not dependent upon our circumstance but in God who, by His very nature, is trustworthy?

When Ellie trusted me it didn’t mean the wound was magically healed, didn’t mean there was no pain, didn’t mean she was completely free from worry. But step-by-step she trusted me to do what was best.

Can I trust God, in the small and big, easy and hard, simple and complex situations of life?

And you? What things stretch your ability or willingness to trust God? How can you remind yourself of His faithfulness, goodness and perfect plan? What steps can you take to trust through the less than pleasant times of life?

~Jillene