What a fun day it was! The sunshine in May warmly embraced the earth in her arms. It was the time of year when spring was drawing to a close and the flowers were fading away; nevertheless, in the courtyard of our home, a locust tree was still in full bloom. The white flowers hung on all the branches like the wind-bells in a dreamland, and the silky fragrance filled the air all around the courtyard. It was a beautiful Sunday, so my parents and my little brother and I were all excited to just stay home and just relax. At that time, I was 13 years old, and my little brother was just 9, but on that day, I learned a lesson that will stay in my heart forever.
We had eggs and hot cereal for breakfast, after which my father read the paper leisurely cross-legged, while my mother was busy cleaning the room singing a song. I sat on our soft sofa watching TV with my heart beating as the plot went on, and my little brother chatted with his friends on the computer in his room. Suddenly, my brother ran out of his room saying excitedly: “I have a good idea! Let’s play a game which I just learned from my friends. It’s very interesting!” While my parents were steeped in their work, and without even looking up, they just said to my brother, “Play with your sister.”
And so, my brother came over to me and pulled on my arms, pleading, “Dear sister, can you play a game with me?” With my eyes staring directly into the television I said, “No, I’m watching TV and I don’t want to be bothered!” But he didn’t listen to me. Still full of enthusiasm, he said loudly, “Sister, look at me! In a few minutes, I will stand up straight, turn around, close my eyes, and then fall backwards toward you.” I still wasn’t paying much attention to him, so he reminded me by saying, “Don’t forget, I will turn around, count 1-2-3, and then fall backward, and you are supposed to catch me before I hit the floor. This game is called ‘Trust me’.” And then he asked, “Can I trust you?” Even though I understood what he said, I thought it was such a boring game, just like boiling water, it was colorless and tasteless. So, I said to him firmly: “Don’t do these silly things! I won’t catch you. It’s too boring.”
However, my little brother was unshaken by my words, and stood away with his back to me. And then he started counting 1-2-3, and I thought surely he wouldn’t fall backward because I had already told him that the game looked boring. I thought that he would understand that I was not intending to catch him, so I just kept watching TV. Suddenly, after he reached the count of 3, I heard a loud crash on the floor. I immediately leaped off the sofa horror-stricken, and my parents came running too. My little brother lay on the floor with tears in his eyes showing his pained expression. I was speechless, and then he said with tears in his eyes, “I thought you would catch me. I trusted you.” With my face fully flushed, I felt so terrible that I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and climb into it and bury myself. I was so grateful to learn that my brother wasn’t hurt by his fall, and he never held a grudge against me. But, I cannot forgive myself for ignoring him and allowing him to fall directly to the ground. How could I ever intentionally hurt someone who trusted me? My little brother trusted me, but to my shame, I demonstrated that I could not be trusted.
I have never forgotten this event which happened many years ago. Every time I think of it, guilt fills my heart. My family should be able to trust me simply because they are all close to me and I should never disappoint them. From that time on, I determined to be worthy of their trust, and I never wanted to disappoint them again. And today I want to be a trustworthy friend and colleague to all who know me.
Additional Comments – Learning to trust others is a difficult challenge. We all tend to place our trust in no one but ourselves, but through many life experiences, we all know that this has, on occasion, proven to be disastrous. Let’s face it, we don’t inspect the chairs that we sit on before taking our seat at a restaurant, nor do we call in the health department to inspect our food that the chef is preparing to place before us. We need to trust others in almost everything we do during a typical day. But let me ask, can others trust us?
King Solomon asked the following question: “We can all proclaim our own loyalty, but who can find one who is truly trustworthy?” (Prov. 20:6). I suppose that we all have a friend, or two, or more, whom we consider to be a trustworthy friend. Solomon says that such a friend “…loves at all times” (Prov. 17:17), and that “…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). Do you have a “trustworthy friend” like this? If so, be sure to nurture that relationship. But now ask yourself, “Do others consider me to be a trustworthy friend?” If you aren’t sure, then let me recommend that you proceed to do those things that will demonstrate your trustworthiness.
Now let me ask, “Even though you may have trustworthy friends, in whom do you place your trust for the really big issues of life — issues that are beyond receiving help from your trustworthy friends?” King David points us in the right direction, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man; It is better to take refuge in the LORD that to trust in princes” (Ps. 118:8-9). Notice that David is saying that given the choices of placing our confidence in either men or princes, it is far better to trust (take refuge in) the LORD. Furthermore, the Bible is full of instruction that we not place our trust in either wealth or even in modern weapons of warfare, but in the LORD. David says, “Some boast in chariots, and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God (Ps. 20:7). Although David had an abundance of horses and chariots at his disposal to face any battle, he chose to trust God instead. The transferrable concept is that we should never place our confidence in modern methods of facing problems, but in the LORD Himself.
Finally, for the days that lie before us, let’s not forget the instruction of King Solomon, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6). If you want God to direct your paths into the future, then let’s learn to trust in Him and not in ourselves, and to acknowledge our desire to serve and to please Him in all that we do.
