“Put the camera down and let’s play ball!”
You were abused in your past. Hurt by someone you loved. Cheated on. Abandoned. These are all ways we lose our trust in others. It takes time to overcome these issues, even when it comes to trusting God.
It’s hard to understand a God you call Father if your own father abused or abandoned you. Just know that God is nothing like any father here on Earth. While He will discipline, it is out of love, never out of anger. And He loves you like no one else ever could.
The reason most of us have a hard time with trust is because of past hurts. My dog, Ele was about two-years-old when she moved in, and she had to learn to trust that we wouldn’t harm her or send her away. We knew little about her when we adopted her because we got her from our local humane society. We did know that she, and quite a few others, came from a breeder in Georgia and had been neglected. She was never socialized and never had a name. We call her Ele, short for Elektra – a name with some power.
The day we adopted Ele, it took almost twenty minutes to get her in the car to bring her home. We didn’t want to force her. She now jumps in because she knows it means fun.
Ele has realized that this is her forever home, and I will always take care of her. So, now after a year, it’s time to start socializing her with others. There have been people who have come to the house, but she’s very protective and barks the entire time. While I want her to be on guard, I don’t want her to cause fear in those she shouldn’t.
We have been having church outside the past couple of weeks, so they said I could bring Ele with me. She did well today, but then I kept a good eye on her. I’m hoping one day, I don’t have to worry so much.
Unlike people, dogs don’t have faith in God. They have faith in humans, and too many let them down. It takes time for them to get used to trusting us again.
We’re not that different. Once we’re hurt, it takes time to trust again. But trusting God should be a constant. We need to remember that we are His children, and He will never let us down. We just need to allow Him in and trust that He will always be there to love us. Not always easy, but worth the work to get there.
If you or someone you know needs prayer, please leave a comment below.
