“…Your Heavenly Father knows what you have need of even before you ask…” (Matthew 6:8)
As I write this, we’re in Europe, visiting our daughter and family who live here. Really enjoying the time with the family, particularly the grandkids, now 9 and 11.
Despite this, I always find traveling away from my familiar surroundings pretty challenging. My normal response is to try to anticipate every eventuality, so I usually bring too much – clothes I don’t end up wearing, other stuff I don’t end up using.
This time, I felt like God was prompting me to do things differently; not to fret about the whole thing so much and to rely more on His provision through circumstances and other people. I’d have to leave my usual “luggage” at home and rely, ultimately, on Him.
I heard a story recently from a priest who told about his experience journeying to another country for a mission trip. He arrived safely, however his luggage did not. That did not show up for almost a week in the remote area in which he was serving. He literally had nothing but the clothes he was wearing and a cell phone without internet reception. He expressed feeling very vulnerable. He had to wear other people’s clothing and borrow their personal items, even a razor to shave with. He said this experience taught him a lot about humility: it required him to embrace his neediness and rely entirely on others. It also taught him about grace: he was amazed at people’s generosity and cheerful willingness to share with him.
His story stuck with me and greatly challenged me. Since childhood, I’ve been a person who felt the need to be quite self-reliant. I became a caretaker for others at a pretty young age, and it became a firm aspect of my identity. Learning to let others help me has been quite a challenge at times – they don’t do things in my preferred way and time frame, after all! And sometimes, they fail me altogether. Learning that I truly can rely on God to provide for me through others has been a steep learning curve, a lesson I have sometimes resisted.
What has become clear to me is that if I am really going to learn to trust God’s providence in my life completely, I must let go of these old habits. I must of course be prudent and reasonable, but I must also leave lots of spaces which God can fill as He sees fit.
So now I pray for Him to strip me of all that I cling to for that false sense of security and independence. He’s doing it little by little as I give him my permission, and as I am willing to be uncomfortable for a while.
And just like the priest who told of his own experience, I’m growing in humility and witnessing God’s grace through those around me. I’m experiencing freedom and joy in just being like everyone else – limited, human, vulnerable and often needy, looking to my loving Father to take care of my needs, in His time and in His way.
Final note: We’re back now and I found that I only brought one superfluous item with me this trip. Sort of pleased with that!
Lessons From Love School 