On quiet trust

The Bible has a storefront of many characters who spent their lives simply, fulfilled their personal mission and led people to Christ quietly. Except maybe John the Baptist. Or dare I say John the screamer (see John 1:23)

I’m not talking about being silent. Or tiptoeing around the house when your mom is sleeping. I’m talking about very little emotional pitter-patter, very little fearful panicking and very little questioning in the face of uncertainty, pain, change and utter suffering.

So, let’s do some examples, yeah?

Saint Joseph

Not a word in the Bible ever credited to him. If I were him, I’d be mad. But really, it’s crazy to think how big of a responsibility lay on Joseph’s shoulders. He was the protector and provider of both Jesus and Mary. Jesus probably used the time spent with his dad as a frame of reference. I wonder if Joseph felt ‘enough’ as a dad for Jesus?

Joseph did not have all the resources. Which seems a bit irresponsible because God should’ve provided. They stayed at a smelly little inn, in the cold, with very little at their disposal.

Wanna dive deeper into the secret life of Saint Joseph? Read this- A Christmas Reflection: St. Joseph

And ‘little’ was OK. No problem at all.

BUT imagine this…

What do you do when your fiancé comes and tells you a certain Spirit got her pregnant?

You panic. You yell at her, break a flowerpot or two. Then walk out the door like a manly man, come back home when it’s dark outside.

What you definitely don’t do, is trust.
You definitely do not trust that. No. that’d be stupid.

First, Mary is pregnant. Then she suddenly disappears to go to her cousins’ place and won’t come back for months. Later, Joseph is directed to Bethlehem and Egypt and God knows what other places. I mean, give him a break already. Everything in Joseph’s life was going downhill, in a way.

All he wanted was to find a wife and lead a happy family life in Nazareth.

Was that too much to ask?

(Or maybe too little to ask?)

Joseph decided to trust. Quietly. He did not understand. But he understood.

And he’s not the only one…

There are other crazy guys who choose to trust too!

• Noah built an entire boat looking and sounding like a madman to all his friends.

• Mary gave birth to a boy in a cowshed.

• Hannah committed to God something she didn’t even have.

• Job sat with his wounds for days, listening to his friends who couldn’t stop broadcasting and highlighting his assumed sinfulness.

What do all these people have in common?

3 simple things.

One, they’re all crazy. The kind of crazy that God uses for His kingdom.

Two, they were doing their ‘normal’ job with hope.

Hope is a wonderful gift from God. It is something you don’t see in the slightest, but expect it and pray and work for it anyway.

Three, they were doing it quietly.

I find that there is something beautiful about someone who keeps going and going in his path with an eternal perspective. Barely focusing on the volatile and hyperactive ups and downs around him. Because he knows. He just knows.

That’s quiet trust.

They don’t need to prove that to anybody. They just keep serving as they’re waiting. And hope for the promise to become reality. They hope with a hope that is alive and evolving every day.

Things remain the exact same for months and years. People laugh, days seem like forever, it feels like a mock. There is minor grumbling involved, maybe. Nothing really works out the way you want it to. The little prick never stops pricking. Nothing changes.

Until everything changes.

Also read: 19 Proven Ways To Trust God Completely

Psalm 131

This psalm talks about quiet trust in a beautiful way. Read it here

Quiet trust makes you and God work like an A team. You both coordinate to make miracles happen.

There is no “where are you, God?” drama involved. You trust the Lord and continue to do the work faithfully. And when the time is right, he brings us to fulfilment. You never doubt your teammate. No matter what it may seem like, you know that your teammate is doing something Wow-worthy. It’s just that you can’t see it for now.

But quiet trust takes a big serving of faith.

(Or leap).

It crushes and breaks you. It breaks your heart to see all your efforts not taking shape.

It feels really sad when you cannot see anything. It checks to see if you choose fear or faith. It takes away your cozy seat of certainty.

It pushes you into cold water.

That’s quiet trust.

It builds muscles. For the record, muscles are attractive (and very useful). It makes you steel strong, unbreakable and irresistible (to heaven). It sets you free from your fear. It frees you from the sin of complaining and grumbling. It gives you better than what you hoped for.

So whether you’re a Cinderella waiting for your Prince charming, or a Cinderella with a Prince charming who never mentions Tiffany and co. (We’re talking about getting engaged if you didn’t get that haha)- pray. Pray. Pray. And trust. Trust. Trust.

Play your part well. Be a good girlfriend, daughter, sister, and friend. Do faithfully what you have been assigned. Do well the role you’ve been given in your play (even if you’re just a tree character).

In a season of quiet trust, remember to bloom here and now. And trust that God will do the rest.