It's a trust thing...

Last night in bed (at 9.25pm - I live a crazy life) I read this:

'We are not made to live in cramped conditions.  We are not so constructed that we can be satisfied with feelings of impotence and insignificance.  We are made 'little less than God' [Psalm 8]' Eugene Peterson 'Travelling Light'

I can relate to this.  One of the biggest daily battles I face is, 'Is what I'm doing important?  Does it matter?'

Peterson goes on to talk about the different ways that we seek to get in control of these feelings.  We buy an outfit in the hope that it will make us feel more glamorous (and, in my case, look a leetle bit more like the effortless French mummies I see around the place - how do they wear heels and chase toddlers?  HOW??).  We read the latest self-help book, go on the latest diet, post a photo on Facebook in which we look particularly yummy and yes, some of us may even blog about our lives (ahem!).

It's not that any of these things are wrong, but our motivation behind them might be.  Ultimately it's a trust issue.  Do I trust that God knows what he's doing in placing me here and do I trust that God can get me to where he wants me to be in the future?  Do I trust that he can be trusted with my life so I don't have to have all the answers?

Yes blog (in my case), but if no-one reads it, don't panic.  Buy the dress, but know that your beauty and importance come from who you are not what you wear.  Diet if you must, but realise that the answer to 'do I have significance?' will never be found on the dial of your bathroom scales.

When we trust we gain freedom.  Freedom from the fear of impotence and insignificance.  Freedom from trying to have it all sorted.  Freedom from comparison with others.  Freedom to enjoy the now rather than worrying about the 'what's next?'.

I'll give the last word to Peterson: 'Freedom comes from trusting, not from manipulating, from leaving matters to God rather than trying to be in control.'