I think being a bit of a “daredevil” is part of every young boy, at least I know it’s part of my two young gentlemen. They have always enjoyed the thrill of riding their bikes fast or trying to jump over things while riding on a skateboard. Higher and higher they would want to swing and, of course, then they would want to jump out of the swing as it reached the highest point. I held my breath as I watched them fly out and quickly down to the ground. Same with the trampoline, higher and higher they would jump, but they did not want to jump solo. No, that was too safe and boring. They wanted to pile all the neighborhood kids on the trampoline and have everybody jump as high as they could all at the same time! “Fun!” they called it, but I called it an activity that quickly led to a trip to the Emergency Room.
Of course, I would spoil all the fun. When I could catch all the daredevil activities developing around my house, I would scream,”You guys stop that before somebody gets hurt!” Mama was always stopping the fun while Daddy, on the other hand, would instigate it. That was never more true than when we took our boys tubing. We would take our boat to the lake and let the boys ski, knee board, and tube. Of course, the boys always wanted their dad to go faster and faster when they were trailing behind. Dad would obey and the boys would smile big when he sped up.
If I could pick their favorite activity at the lake, it would have to be tubing. They would ride single and then pair up with each other or a friend we brought along. Dave would say, “You better hold on tight!” and it was on! The boys would laugh and almost squeal with excitement because they knew that their dad was going to give them a ride! Water spraying them in the face, waves tumbling all around, they would bounce like a ping pong ball in that tube all over the top of the water. All the time yelling, “Faster, Daddy,…. go faster!!!”
Finally, the ride would end with the tube going airborne and each rider tumbling over each other then plunging under the water. They would quickly pop up from underneath like a cork, for a quick moment looking stunned, and then yell, “That was fun! Can we do it again?!” I just sat in the boat watching nervously, thankful that they all popped up laughing instead of crying.
As much as the boys thought their daddy was going to go as fast as he could with them riding, they never realized a little secret. Their dad was never going to let them go so fast that they could get hurt. He knew just how fast to take them to have a thrilling ride, but all the while he was driving them around the lake, he was constantly looking back to make sure they were never in danger. He watched the water and all the trees and stumps in the boat’s path. He watched the other boats that came near by, and he constantly watched the speed. What felt like zero to ninety to the boys was really just a little bit faster than normal. Dave looked like the master daredevil to the kids and their friends, but he constantly kept their safety in mind.
At some point in life, I guess, that daredevil instinct is replaced with an inept ability to see danger. I know I can spot it. Dave says I worry too much, but I just call it a keen sense of seeing the possible consequences and trying to avoid what could end badly. Maybe that is a gift that only belongs to females, or maybe it just comes with age. Realizing that life is full of problems, and we all have to deal with the consequences of sin in our world.
Last week, I walked through a mall while on Spring Break. It was late in the afternoon on a weekday, so the mall was not very crowded. As I was walking through, I passed by an older lady who looked to be in her eighties. She was slowly walking with both hands on a walker and her daughter, who looked to be in her late fifties, was walking right beside her. Right as I passed by them, I noticed the daughter as she put her hand up to the mother’s head to tuck a piece of windblown hair back in place. As the daughter adjusted her mother’s hair, I heard her say, “Mom, you just have to trust the Lord.” When I heard that comment, it took all my restraint not to keep listening. I wanted to know more. I wondered if she was having health issues or other family concerns. I could only speculate about her circumstances, but the words I heard the daughter speak literally brought tears to my eyes. I really wanted to run back to the lady and say, “Would you say that to me?”
As they continued their way, I thought about that one sentence that I heard the daughter say. How the daughter had taken on the parenting role in that moment and was giving her mother such good advice. I thought about how maybe I needed to hear her say those words more than that older lady did. God knows I am trying to trust him more this year, but so many times I get weak and doubt creeps in. Hearing those words reminded me that I am not alone in this world as a believer, and other people believe that God is the answer too.
We can trust the Lord in everything because he is trustworthy. When we want a smooth ride in life but we get circumstances that make us uncomfortable, we can trust the Lord. When the devil throws the water and wind in our face and high waves tumble all around, we can trust the Lord. Like the very best father, he never takes us out of his sight. When the devil’s schemes pick up speed and our life feels out of control, all we need to do is trust the Lord. He will NEVER let us go under.
Over and over, I have thought about what I heard that lady say as she so sweetly tucked her mom’s hair back in place. When she made that comment to her mother, the Lord said to me through her… “Trust me, Kim, that is what YOU need to do. When you feel sad and miss Holt, trust me that he is happier than ever. When you do not understand why bad things happen, trust that I really am working all things for good. When you look at your plans and they appear all jumbled and unclear, trust that I will reveal a clear path when the time is right. When you feel discouraged, disappointed, and in despair, trust me that all is not lost. When your mind says to doubt, trust what your heart knows about me instead. When you feel incapable, trust that I can supply all you need to do what I have called you to do. When you cannot see solutions to your problems, trust me to make a way. And when you think that nobody understands what you are going through, trust that I never take my eyes off you; I see every single hurt and will make all things right.”
That lady had no clue that day how God used her words to remind me that I need to trust Him. (She also has no clue how close she came to having a crazy person in tears approach her in the mall.) Maybe you, like me, need to be reminded too. God knows that believers need to encourage one another in the faith. We need to remind one another that this hope we have is real, and God is NOT dead. He is alive and watching over us every single minute of every single day. He knows what you are going through. He sees and cares. You just have to trust the Lord.
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 7-8
