Striving and Trust

One of those “let-me-think-about-it” aphorisms was formulated by James Baldwin. He wrote, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

Life is replete with situations that are difficult to face, from stock market meltdowns, to your child’s broken leg, to finding that your car has been stolen, to being called for jury duty. You may receive an unfavorable lab report from your doctor about the cancer you had feared, or may have to make funeral arrangements for a suddenly deceased loved one. Each situation requires that we face it squarely and strive to cope with it as well as we can. Some who can’t face their problems will simply panic; others will turn to alcohol, drugs, or other forms of escapism. When God is left out of the picture, he stands on the sidelines, watching us struggle without the proffered comfort, support, and guidance, which we have neglected to seek.

Only the devout, trusting souls have learned to walk with the Lord through the minefield of life with the certainty that the mines that explode around them will not harm them. The more we trust in him, the easier the striving and the less unnerving the struggle will be. It was for the harried, hurried, and harassed that Psalm 91 was by God’s design inserted into his holy Word. It’s worth reading in full, prayerfully and frequently, if you want to master the virtue of trust in God:

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them with long life; I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation. (emphasis mine)

This excerpt is from the book Pathways of Trust, by John H. Hampsch,C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.