LOVE DOES......ALWAYS TRUST

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails.  1Cor. 13:4-8a

If you google the word "Trust" this is one of the many images that comes up.  We've all played this game before where we close our eyes, cross our arms, and (hopefully) someone that loves you is going to trust you as you fall backwards.   In many cases the person is there and there's this sight of relief and all is well in the world.   But there are times when you best friend is so preoccupied with their life that they aren't there to catch you when you're falling.   There are times when you've left the home only to return and your children have breached your trust.   There are times when you've loaned someone money, the car, etc. only to discover they have disrespected what it is you've trusted them with.  There are times when you've given someone your heart in a relationship, only to discover they actually hold pieces of many other people's hearts.

When these things happen we want to withdraw away.  We struggle to love again, trust again, and for some even live again, but Christ shows us how to respond when family betrays us, when friends aren't there to support us, and when life is just down right unforgiving.  We are never in scripture encouraged to put all of our trust in anything BUT the LORD (Proverbs 3:5-6).

So then what are we to do?  God has trusted us with friends, children, family, communities, money, resources, etc....and trust we've blown one, a combination of the above listed, or all of them.....and He hasn't withdrawn all of His blessings to us.  NOPE!  He gives us the Benefit of Doubt, the Benefit of Grace, and the Benefit of Love/Another Chance.

THE BENEFIT OF DOUBT
This GOD-LIKE benefit sees the best in people no matter what.   It's looking past their present and seeing that they are better than that and choosing to believe in that.   I know this all too well.  It's knowing your child has God-given talents, but until they recognize it....you have to understand they are a child.   Which means they will make decisions and involve themselves ignorantly in things that will hurt them.   So what do you do?  Give them (I'm talking about adult & young adult children of course) the space of place and time to make their boo-boos where you still protect the family.

THE BENEFIT OF GRACE
This is where you choose to do something positive with the hurt of another.  Jesus didn't get offended when Thomas said " I won't believe unless........."  He offered Thomas the opportunity of a lifetime.   He had given Thomas the benefit of doubt, in knowing the limitations of his faith & understanding, and meted out grace.   When we do this....we act in kind with the Spirit of God, who has given us grace to come to the understanding of who God is as well.   We all have struggled in believing without fully seeing, but GOD's grace provided opportunities to experience the TRUTH of His Character.

THE BENEFIT OF LOVE/ANOTHER CHANCE
Thank GOD, HE is a GOD of many chances, not just A SECOND CHANCE.  Peter shot off at the mouth many times, and the one time he could've made his mark he refused even knowing JESUS.  But when Jesus came back on the scene did he remove Peter.  Did He DIS(owning) Peter?  Nope....He challenged him to live out His faith.   Maybe you need to challenge someone to be who they say they are, and live in light of what they say they believe.

We can all close ourselves off, from ever being hurt again...building walls that make relationships difficult, and closing our hearts off from even loving, but at the end of the day we'll end up lonely, and loveless.  I encourage you to TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART....so that you don't have to lean on your limited understanding, and allow Him to guide you into and through relationships.  He did say, LOVE HIM (with all your heart, mind, and strength), and LOVE PEOPLE!  If you really want to do what Jesus did......then it begins with TRUSTING THE FATHER & LOVING!  LGLP