Trusting in God

The other night, Neil and I decided to watch a movie. Scrolling through Netflix, we saw a new movie called Society of the Snow. The title intrigued us, so we clicked on it, only to find out it was about a plane crash in the Andes. 

Neil and I have been nervous flyers since we encountered horrible turbulence on a flight back from St. Louis. I immediately said I didn’t want to watch a movie about a plane crash, and Neil hurriedly agreed. We don’t need any more reasons to hate flying. 

I didn’t think much about this again until I went to write my sermon this week. As we wrap up our series on Jonah, we explore trust and God. Trust is a difficult concept for most humans; it doesn’t help because the internet, telephone, and in-person scams are constant. The media scares us every chance they get. We are always on alert for danger, so trusting someone new can be difficult. But why is it so hard to trust God? On that turbulent flight back from St. Louis, I sat between Neil and Kaie, holding on to both for dear life, praying for God to calm the storm. 

Meanwhile, I would say a quarter of the plane started to repeat the Lord’s Prayer over and over again. When the plane landed, everyone clapped and cheered, and many people kissed the ground when they embarked. It did seem that some people put their trust in God in this scary situation, and I think it might be easier to trust in God when our lives are in danger than trusting in God for the everyday hills we need to climb. It is quite apparent that Jonah didn’t trust God; after all, he ran for his life. But I, too, don’t always trust God.  When things get complicated, I want to take the wheel, and I often feel anxious when I give it up. Like Jonah, I want to be in control. But then there is the part of me that prays without ceasing and knows that God can and does make a difference; all I must do is trust. Yet this does not come instinctually to me, does it to you? 

I am looking forward to exploring trust and God with you this Sunday. Perhaps we will receive a fresh reminder of why we should trust in God rather than ourselves.

Blessing Rev. Kim  

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