YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

When I was a child, I often thought I could fly if I only put my mind to it.  There was an old rusty swing in our back yard---(FAR back yard-Momma never knew)  that I spent many an hour on.  Thankfully it was cemented into the ground, for often, I would swing as high as it would go.  At the very top of the arc, I would let go and for a brief nano-second fly.  For some strange reason, I trusted I would not be hurt .  The times I did suffer bumps and bruises were well worth the sensation of being able to fly.  I trusted I would land on my feet unscathed and would rush to repeat this thrilling sensation.  As I grew older and bigger, the danger grew.  I was heavier and fell harder, and after a time, I lost that trust of not being hurt, and that brought all the flying to a halt.

When we are small babies, before the dawning of rational thinking, we learn to trust our parents will provide our needs for us.  During those early years, when we are the apple of their eye we were carefully watched, and gently tended.  Then we begin to grow and develop the ability to think and reason AND we begin to figure out how to get everything we wanted.  There finally comes a time when "No!" is introduced and there were consequences if we ignored those No's.  Seemingly---suddenly--our gravy train was jerked out from under us and the parents we trusted to provide our wants began to establish boundaries of what they were willing to give.   Slowly, but surely we clued in to the fact that they could no longer be trusted to provide our every "Want".

We finally reach the age of socialization.  Things are going along swimmingly as we make friends--learn to play together---and learn the lessons of the playground.  There finally comes the day when you are the one ostracized in a trio, when you are the last one chosen in a game, when the bully decides you are their next target.  Our trust that each and every day would be a fun-filled session on the playground came to the brick wall of children being mean and we lost our trust.

Perhaps the biggest eyeopener comes in our adult years.  Thinking all the silly games of childhood is long past us, we enter our years of accountability trusting others will treat us the way we treat them.  We enter marriages, contracts, friendships, employment with a trust that the games of our formative years are now behind us and we will all stand by what we promise and say.  Eventually something knocks the blocks out from under us and we are blindsided with betrayal.  That day begins the trek down the road of cynicism and we develop a wary eye toward others.  The road becomes clogged with the doubt that others can be trusted and end at the dead end of mistrust---trust lost---and view the world through the cynical eye of skepticism toward our fellow man.

We live in a fallen world---and man WILL disappoint us----I am fairly certain I have disappointed everyone I have ever had a relationship with.  That can go back to unspoken expectations, but it also can be indicative or our feet of clay which are forever wandering down the street of What About Me?.  I would dare to say not one person in this world has not been disappointed and lost trust.  It all started with Adam and Eve when the world was forever altered.

NOW---I am NOT promoting your distrust---I am pointing to the one sure thing.  GOD CAN BE TRUSTED!  EVERYTIME---ANYTIME--ALL THE TIME.   If He said it--it will be---maybe not on your timetable, BUT you can absolutely count in His good time---it will be.  We can count on Him.  As Bruno Mars sings, "You can count on me"  This secular song about friends is such a good anthem of what God is telling us.  He will be the light to guide us--and the question becomes as Bruno croons---Can He count on us?  Have you found out what you are made of---do others always have our shoulder to count on?  Play it and think it over--not from the perspective of others, but from the perspective of you.  Can you be trusted--can you be counted on?  Go HERE to visit this wonderful song.

"Trust in Him at all times,

you people;

pour out your heart to Him,

for God is our refuge."

Psalm 62:8