State, Town, Village, Community, Neighbor

I am spending my days researching the concept of trust. It is here that I like to point out once again that Rick and I are curious and like to learn about very different things.

He can remove a satellite dish from your roof, mend a fence, build a deck, install an appliance, or hang a ceiling fan like a champ. I, on the other hand, will sit across your table and talk at length about how we got where we are and what we believe God is speaking into our lives for such a time as this. Sometimes he and my paths cross, but I no longer expect them to often. Instead, I celebrate when he looks at me and delivers such a pearl of wisdom that my perpetual train of thought is able to pull into the depot so I can get the heck off for a while. I fancy him feeling the same when I come up with an unorthodox solution to a design or construction obstacle. I wouldn't know. He holds his cards close and his facial expressions closer. I know this. I love this. I trust this man.

Trust, by definition, is the firm belief in the character, strength, truth, ability, or reliability of a person. Its key traits are built through transparency, ethical behavior, and consistent follow-through over time. Trust is essential in personal relationships.

In the Bible, trust is a bold, confident reliance on the character, promises, and reliability of God. The word Batach, which is Hebrew meaning to trust, is found over 120 times in the Old Testament. It goes further in definition to mean to feel safe, to lean upon, to put my full weight and confidence in someone.

In the New Testament, trust is closely related to faith, belief in Jesus Christ, and acting on that personal surrender and obedience. I love when the internet gave me the following visual: It's like sitting on a chair or resting your full weight on a wall; it means moving away from self-reliance and leaning entirely on my Creator. Just for the record, I could not even spell obedience correctly on my own.

I have believed God for a very long time, thanks to a bible study delivered by Beth Moore, actually called Believing God, studied 3 times over many moons ago. I would have told you that believing and trusting God go hand in hand before this season of my life. I would have painted with a very broad brush in saying, "Of course I believe God. I can look back over my life and show you countless times He has proven himself trustworthy." Today I can tell you that I hold small stones of control in my pocket that He is asking me to drop. It is not comfortable.

It is necessary.

To move forward in such a time as this, when so many things are proving untrustworthy, reconciling what, and even more importantly, who we trust is the key to peace.

I love the title of this writing. It allows me to envision the shrinking down of the loud to the much quieter and more inviting moments shared with friends and neighbors.

This is where I find truth. This is where I find the reality of people. This is where kindness and love bloom as we share our experiences. We grow toward one another rather than away. This is where I feel blessing. This is where trust is woven.

Charlie & Peggy Hunnicut are in the very fabric of Hendersonville, NC. She a beloved (I just know this by the way she gathered our grandchildren up on her front porch to read to them when they were here this summer) and retired kindergarten teacher, and he an active member of the community through church work, music, and theater. Together they were to be appreciated for years as the orchestrators & performers of the Frosty Follies and members of the Flat Rock Playhouse. To us, they are our neighbors.

We are fortunate indeed.

Someone recently gave us a coaster that reads, "Mr. Rodger's did not adequately prepare me for the people in my neighborhood." Hilarious. True. But God did prepare both them and us. And I love that about Him. We are surrounded by wonderful people in this little village. I hope Charlie & Peggy are just the beginning of the stories we get to share.

Cheers to a Happy Hunnicut Halloween!