I didn’t see it coming. It took me completely by surprise. Moving slowly along the shoreline, attempting to catch a glimpse of a perfect shell, there it was. I threw off my shoes with haste, determined to snag the treasure. Just as my fingertips broke the surface of the water, the shell grew legs. Simultaneously, I noticed that two other shells in close proximity were also coming to life. Apparently, I had caused quite the panic, and immediate evacuation was required. As much as I wanted to claim ownership, I opted for letting the little creature remain hidden.
It wasn’t long before I acknowledged a correlation to something I’d been studying lately. This summer, I’ll be leading a study on Proverbs 3:5-6 at my house. Although my journey with the words in those verses began years ago, it took on a whole new level of depth when Relaxed by Megan Fate Marshman was released. She begins the process by challenging us to “Go to God” with what’s in our hearts.
Now I don’t know about you, but my heart isn’t always the place I wanna hang out. Much like that crab, at times I prefer to hide. As I lean in and hang out with God, He helps me to see what’s in my heart. Whether it’s anger, bitterness, confusion, or pride (just to name a few), God is the only one capable of dealing with all of that. It isn’t up to me to try harder or work longer. That’s just autonomy, which is the opposite of everything the Bible teaches us.
The verse says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart”. There’s no indication of “trust in Michele”, which is fantastic. And if I’m trusting Him with my heart, I feel like it’s probably pretty important that I know what’s in there! I mean, He knows! So why am I acting like anything’s coming as a surprise? He knows I’m angry, so let’s talk through it. He knows I’m confused, so He’s sitting with me to figure it out.
Although that little crab was cute, I imagine him missing out on a lot because he spends so much time hiding. He isn’t trusting. Maybe you need to be reminded, too. Relax. Let God be God. He’s pretty good at it. Trust Him with what’s in your heart. That’s a big first step in growing.
Proverbs 4:23 ~ Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.