Back in November, I experienced something so frightful that it left a lot of trauma and questions lingering in my mind, making it difficult to focus on anything else. The event unfolded unexpectedly, plunging me into a spiral of fear and disbelief that felt surreal. As I grappled with the emotional aftermath, I found myself reflecting on the moments leading up to that experience, piecing together the fragmented thoughts that raced through my mind. Each recollection brought forth a wave of anxiety, leading me to question not only what had happened but also how I could ever feel safe again. The shadows of that day seem to hover over me and it became clear that I would need time to heal and process everything that had transpired.
My husband and I were on our way home from Sam’s Club, which is about 40 minutes away from our house. To get to the city, we need to travel on an old, rural, two-lane route. On this particular day, it was gray, drizzly, and just gloomy outside. Now, I always get nervous when I travel to begin with so I am always praying for God to keep us safe on the road. As we were picking up speed and traveling north, I noticed a car pulling up from a side street and stop. As I focused on that car I noticed another one that didn’t stop and pull right out in front of us. I can remember my husband swerving and then all I remember is a very loud noise, my side air bags deploying and fog filling the inside of our six month old car.
Unfortunately, that is all I remember. As shock set in, I could feel my anxiety soaring. I noticed my chest was hurting and my neck was becoming really stiff. As the emergency crew began to arrive, a nurse stopped by and held my head and told me I am going to be alright and she needs to keep my neck stable.
As the ambulance pulled up to our t-boned car, a neck brace was placed around my neck and I was taken to the hospital without my husband. Thankfully, he wasn’t injured because my side took the impact of the collision. He had to stay and give a police report.
I was so afraid because I was still in shock and I was still trying to process everything that just happened. While on the way to the hospital I noticed my finger turning purple and swelling. I also noticed my shoulder starting to hurt. Still, to this day, I have no idea why my finger is broke. I never remember the pain.
I was released that evening and made the horrifying trip back home, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Each bump on the road sent jolts of unease through me, making me acutely aware of my anxieties. When I finally arrived home, I was confronted by the stark reality of my injuries; I noticed all of the bruising on my arm and chest, dark purple and blue splotches that told a silent story of pain. The funny thing is, I don’t remember feeling the pain to my arm, so I have no idea how I got the bruises and no recollection of the accident. It was as if those moments had been erased from my memory, leaving behind only the aftermath of my ordeal. The mystery swirled in my mind, burdening me with questions that seem to have no answers.
But God, I Trusted You
To this day, I am still trying to process everything. I was messed up spiritually as well as emotionally. I couldn’t understand why God allowed this. I literally just prayed for protection and I found myself ……unprotected; or so I thought.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts says the Lord”
Almost two months later, I do understand that God protected me that day. Because I don’t remember the accident, my husband told me if the girl would have hit just an inch further to the right, I would have taken the complete force of her SUV. Instead of just bruises, whiplash, a mild concussion, and a broken finger, I could have had serious injuries. He also told me, there was no oncoming traffic coming in the other lane which is a miracle because he was able to swerve. But as he swerved, he informed me that there was a pole that he was heading straight for, but somehow God moved us to miss hitting the pole.
Even though I don’t understand why we had to experience that trauma, God was surely in control and He can be trusted.
What Does it Mean to Trust God?
To find this answer, let’s take a closer look at what it means to trust. Merriam-Webster Dictionary states that trust is: a firm belief in the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. A person or thing in which confidence is placed. Confident hope.
Trust is the confidence in the One who is trusted.
To trust God simply means to place your full confidence in Him, knowing that He has your best interest at heart and will never let you down or abandon you. This trust is not merely a passive sentiment but an active choice to believe in His goodness and sovereignty over our lives even when circumstances seem impossible. God knows everything you are going through and everything you will go through, including the struggles, heartaches, and challenges that may weigh heavily on your mind. He knows the best way to help you through your difficulties, providing guidance, support, and encouragement when you need it most. In times of uncertainty, our faith becomes a refuge, allowing us to navigate life’s storms with assurance that we are never alone.
How Do I Know I Am Truly Trusting God?
If you truly want to know if you are trusting God, ask yourself if you are experiencing His peace. If your mind is full of worry and anxious thoughts, then you are not trusting God. You may want to trust Him and even think you are trusting Him, but in reality, you are not. Trusting God means letting go of the burdens you carry and fully relying on His promises and guidance. You see, trust brings rest; it allows us to release the tension in our hearts and minds. If our minds are still pondering on every catastrophic thought, we are not trusting God. Instead, we should strive to cultivate a mindset that embraces faith over fear, surrendering the chaos of our thoughts to Him. By doing so, we create space for His peace to fill our hearts and guide our decisions.
I must admit, I still have problems in this area. If we struggle with trusting God, we must ask ourselves why we think He won’t come through for us. Do we think He won’t answer our prayer the way we think they should be answered? Are we afraid He doesn’t care about what we are going through? Do we have a problem with letting go of our control because we think we can do what is best for us?
We don’t have to live our lives full of worry, confusion or fear. We can learn to take everything to God and begin to trust Him. Get to know God personally as you would a friend. Do a Bible study about the attributes of God. (This will be a future blog post). He is not a distant, far off being who is excited to see you struggling in life. He is your heavenly Father who loves you.
God is faithful and can be trusted. What He has done in your past, He will do again. He is an on time, dependable God. He has always come through for you and He is not going to change His mind about helping you now. He is there even if you can’t see Him.
Bible Verses About Trusting God
The following Bible verses are some of the ones I repeatedly go to when I need to lean on God. Each one reminds me of God’s character and His ability to be my protector.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
Psalm 20:7
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Psalm 31:14-15
“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!”
Psalm 40:4
“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie.”
Psalm 37:3-5
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”
Psalm 56:3-4
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
Psalm 91:1-6
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”
Psalm 112:7
“He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”
Psalm 143:8
“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”
Proverbs 29:25
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”
Isaiah 26:3-4
“You keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Conclusion
There is so much freedom in trusting God! As we learn to trust Him and throw all of our worries and fears onto Him, we begin to experience joy, peace, protection, and hope. When we begin to let go and surrender to God fully, worry and fear will begin to cease because we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that our heavenly Father is protecting us and working everything out for our good, even in the most challenging situations. During our car accident, I struggled to see how God was guarding me; at that moment, I didn’t think He had protected me at all. I prayed fervently and placed my trust in Him, yet I found myself injured and overwhelmed by the aftermath of the incident. It was difficult to comprehend how God was at work in such a painful experience, but as time passed, I slowly realized that in the midst of the chaos, He was there, shielding me in ways I couldn’t initially see. With every day that followed, I began to reflect on the blessings that emerged from that dark time, recognizing that His hand was guiding me all along, helping me heal, rebuilding my strength, and instilling a deeper faith that would carry me through the storms of life.
I encourage you today to begin to throw all of your cares onto God. Study the scriptures stated above and learn about God’s character. He is a good God and He CAN be TRUSTED!
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