Reflection for January 18, 2015

"So the dawn of trust requires the abandonment of our craving for material and spiritual reassurances."(Reflections for Ragamuffins January 18)

So what gives you the confidence to move forward in life?  For many it may be feeling you have enough in the bank or investments that you could weather any storm.  Maybe it is having stuff, the more stuff you're surrounded by the more secure you feel.  Except the problem is you almost begin to worry that something might happen to all your stuff and then where would you be?

While material assurances and why they aren't the best things to base one's ability to get through life with is obvious I do wonder what spiritual assurances are?  Partially I suppose there is those Bible verses that we've memorized to get us through tough times.  There is the promise of Jesus found in scriptures which again can often sustain the believer.  There of course is also that seeking of the presence of God in our lives through prayer and hopefully hearing that still small voice.

But ultimately all of these things will only work if we've begun from a place of trust.  Trust in things that cannot be held, seen, or heard.  And that takes a lot of courage.  But without that first trust, the rest of the journey is very hard.

Blessings,
Ed