2 GOOD 2 B TRUE
Have you ever had that feeling that something is too good to be true? And what's the old adage? "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is." Didn't everyone's mother tell them this?
There's always a catch, right? Usually, I refer to that as the 'fine print'. Or that really annoying, super-fast voice that comes on after the too-good-to-be-true offer was just made, to immediately disqualify every one who's breathing. But no purchase necessary. That's nice to know.
So often we demand proof. We have to see it to believe it. Ah yes, you've no doubt heard this one too, "Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see." Is it any wonder we are a pessimistic society, lacking in trust?
I used to ask my children if their homework was done. Of course it's done. "Show me." If it was truly done, they would proudly produce their papers, chin out, shoulders back, as if to say, "I told you so," without really saying it, because that would've gotten them in trouble. And if it wasn't done, I could tell immediately, because they would hang their head and shuffle away in defeat, knowing that they had to finish it before they could show it to me.
Recently, I had to threaten to ground my 15 year-old son if he didn't get his bedroom picked up and do his laundry. When he appeared a few minutes later, I raised one eyebrow and looked at him. "What? It's clean!"
"Uh huh...lets go see." And he followed me up the stairs, laughing all the way.
I pushed the door open...I could see the carpet. I had forgotten what color the carpet actually was in that room. It was too good to be true. I immediately swung open the closet door, expecting a landslide of sporting goods and smelly socks to come piling down on top of me. It was tidy. No waterfall of junk. Now it was definitely too good to be true. So I hit the floor and pulled up the bed skirt in full confidence that somehow he had managed to stuff everything he owned under a full-sized bed. Two wrappers and one sock was all I found. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, smug grin.
"Happy now?"
"Nice job." I think I was in shock.
Wouldn't it be grand if we could always trust that when our kids said their homework was done, that it was...or that their room was clean, that they weren't being deceitful. That would be the tip of the iceberg.
What about if we trusted God when he bought into our lives exactly what we'd been praying for, without raising an eyebrow or looking for the fine print? We would save a lot of time and energy for sure. Sometimes it's harder to trust ourselves than it is to trust God or anyone else for that matter.
If you're thinking, oh wait now...I don't trust other people...really? Ever been on an airplane? An elevator? A bridge? Ever had surgery and trusted a young doctor to administer anesthesia? You unwittingly trust the pilot that's flying the plane, the construction worker that built the elevator shaft, the engineer that designed the bridge and the med school intern with your LIFE? And you've never met them. So what's the deal with trusting yourself?
One too many bad choices in the past can taint the waters for sure and leave you hesitant to trust yourself. But next time you hit your knees in prayer, ask for forgiveness for yourself, for all those bad choices, lay them at the foot of the cross...and LEAVE them there.
My favorite visual is the story of an old hobo hitchhiker standing on the side of the road, with a heavy pack over his shoulder, looking weary and sad. A farmer pulls up in his pickup truck and tells the old hobo to hop in the back. As he drives along, the farmer looks into the rearview mirror, shocked to see the old hobo, sitting in the back of the truck with the heavy pack still on his shoulder. Why didn't he just lay it down??? If that sounds a bit like you, then maybe it's time to lay it down and embrace what seems too good to be true. And if you need proof, there's a letter written to you with all the proof you need. It's called the Bible. It's full of God's promises and all the evidence you'll ever need to believe that He has your best interest at heart.
Pinkie swear.
Be blessed.
There's always a catch, right? Usually, I refer to that as the 'fine print'. Or that really annoying, super-fast voice that comes on after the too-good-to-be-true offer was just made, to immediately disqualify every one who's breathing. But no purchase necessary. That's nice to know.
So often we demand proof. We have to see it to believe it. Ah yes, you've no doubt heard this one too, "Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see." Is it any wonder we are a pessimistic society, lacking in trust?
I used to ask my children if their homework was done. Of course it's done. "Show me." If it was truly done, they would proudly produce their papers, chin out, shoulders back, as if to say, "I told you so," without really saying it, because that would've gotten them in trouble. And if it wasn't done, I could tell immediately, because they would hang their head and shuffle away in defeat, knowing that they had to finish it before they could show it to me.
Recently, I had to threaten to ground my 15 year-old son if he didn't get his bedroom picked up and do his laundry. When he appeared a few minutes later, I raised one eyebrow and looked at him. "What? It's clean!"
"Uh huh...lets go see." And he followed me up the stairs, laughing all the way.
I pushed the door open...I could see the carpet. I had forgotten what color the carpet actually was in that room. It was too good to be true. I immediately swung open the closet door, expecting a landslide of sporting goods and smelly socks to come piling down on top of me. It was tidy. No waterfall of junk. Now it was definitely too good to be true. So I hit the floor and pulled up the bed skirt in full confidence that somehow he had managed to stuff everything he owned under a full-sized bed. Two wrappers and one sock was all I found. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, smug grin.
"Happy now?"
"Nice job." I think I was in shock.
Wouldn't it be grand if we could always trust that when our kids said their homework was done, that it was...or that their room was clean, that they weren't being deceitful. That would be the tip of the iceberg.
What about if we trusted God when he bought into our lives exactly what we'd been praying for, without raising an eyebrow or looking for the fine print? We would save a lot of time and energy for sure. Sometimes it's harder to trust ourselves than it is to trust God or anyone else for that matter.
If you're thinking, oh wait now...I don't trust other people...really? Ever been on an airplane? An elevator? A bridge? Ever had surgery and trusted a young doctor to administer anesthesia? You unwittingly trust the pilot that's flying the plane, the construction worker that built the elevator shaft, the engineer that designed the bridge and the med school intern with your LIFE? And you've never met them. So what's the deal with trusting yourself?
One too many bad choices in the past can taint the waters for sure and leave you hesitant to trust yourself. But next time you hit your knees in prayer, ask for forgiveness for yourself, for all those bad choices, lay them at the foot of the cross...and LEAVE them there.
My favorite visual is the story of an old hobo hitchhiker standing on the side of the road, with a heavy pack over his shoulder, looking weary and sad. A farmer pulls up in his pickup truck and tells the old hobo to hop in the back. As he drives along, the farmer looks into the rearview mirror, shocked to see the old hobo, sitting in the back of the truck with the heavy pack still on his shoulder. Why didn't he just lay it down??? If that sounds a bit like you, then maybe it's time to lay it down and embrace what seems too good to be true. And if you need proof, there's a letter written to you with all the proof you need. It's called the Bible. It's full of God's promises and all the evidence you'll ever need to believe that He has your best interest at heart.
Pinkie swear.
Be blessed.
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