Trust

   "You can trust me!" a phrase that we hear so often from so many people. We are conditioned to put our trust in those who we feel have our best interest at heart. When we reach the point of trusting someone we become vulnerable and let our guard down. We share our hopes, dreams, our doubts and fears. Those in life who are fortunate enough to gain our trust hold the key to a precious treasure; our heart.
  We are instructed to guard our heart with all diligence because out of it flows the issues of life. But, every now and then our guard is penetrated by those who we feel will never betray, mistreat, or abandon us. When this happens we do the unthinkable, we allow some one "in" .  As long as that person/people remains consistent, things are great. But what happens when that trust is betrayed? What happens when the ones who say that they will always be there decide to walk away?
   Over the past few years, I have experienced many hurts that I never could have imagined at the hands of those that I trusted. In my last blog, I talked about how I constantly give of myself. Often those who I have given the most to have been the ones who have hurt me the deepest. Because I am not one who typically speaks up, I tend to let things go (or at least that what I tell myself); the wounds continue to grow deeper and deeper.
   In church, we are taught to move on for the sake of the Kingdom. We are told not to allow "minor" issues to stop your progress. We are taught to bandage the wound and keep it moving. The problem with that ideology is that though we attempt to move on, the pain still exists. Because the wounds get covered they don't properly heal. Medically speaking, covered wounds take longer to heal if they heal at all. So now we have become the walking wounded, seeking to serve with those who are the cause of such great heartache. We  go about our day to day lives knowing that the very sight of those who have hurt us causes such debilitating emotion  that it is hard to function.
   For a while, I had become a walking paraplegic. You see, I covered the wounds so beautifully with a well dressed smile that no one recognized that I was dying inside. But, what I have come to realize that often times these deep seated wounds have came as a result of allowing someone into a place in my heart that was reserved for God and Him alone. I had unrealistic expectations of people. I expected them to be the epitome of  perfection, to never hurt me, to love me despite my hang ups. I have come to the harsh reality that as long as this remains the case that the pain and disappointment of breached trust will continue.
   As I type this I am aware that there are many who have been or better yet are currently in this same space. So I challenge you to begin the process of allowing God to minister to those broken places. Expose your heart to Him and allow Him mend it like only He can. Release those who have hurt you so that you can be FREE! Trust Him so that He can teach you how to trust others!!!!