Attack Of The Happies

By Glenn Miller

GOD’S WORD: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait PATIENTLY for Him.” – Psalm 37: 5-7a

In a reflection upon my capacity to trust God in all things, I find that I am a victim of the world and its standards far more often than what I’d like to admit. I find that my undiluted trust in God is easier during those times when the outcome is clearer than when it is not. Yet at those times when I find myself in the dark, when I can do nothing more than to let God lead me, I still have a craving for clarity. Craving clarity is my attempt to eliminate the risk of trusting God. It’s been said that fear of the unknown destroys the necessary child-like trust in God’s goodness and unconditional love He has for me.

But trusting God with all my heart in all things still does not guarantee clarity (at least not immediately). Trusting God does not still the chaos or dull the pain or provide a crutch. Trusting God, I’ve discovered, simply allows me to proclaim, just as Jesus did on the cross, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” By trusting in God’s love for me and that He wants to produce good things for me, then no matter how insurmountable the odds may be; no matter that I haven’t a clue as to the outcome of the future; no matter how little control I have over my destiny, I am able to surrender my will and my life to Him without any reservation and complete confidence.

Experiencing the peace of trusting God has surprised me at least twice in my lifetime. The first was during the years and months surrounding my divorce. From out of those dark shadows, I learned to trust God to lead me. He led me out of that darkness and into a new, brighter arena; one that is greater than anything I could have imagined a few years ago. Now, as I let Him lead me in all things, I can, from an experiential point, know assuredly that brighter things are on the horizon; that I will emerge from these times of trial a stronger and more devoted person than before.

And knowing that confidently gives me peace.

I like how Brennan Manning describes the peaceful feeling when we place our trust at God’s feet, that we “have an attack of the happies.” My hope is that I will always be able to trust God in all things and not recapitulate into putting my trust in myself. But for right now, all I can do is trust Him…

 One day at a time.

 One hour at a time.

 One minute at a time.