A dear friend of mine recently shared how God told her that to know Him is to trust Him. In terms of that (a relationship with God), the statement totally made sense, but there was something else about it that caught my attention. Of course I trust God because I know Him! I know how good, awesome and faithful He is. I've experienced it! He's so personal to me... I know He loves me and I trust in His love for me... I know He only wants the best for my life.
Hearing my friend say those words ("to know is to trust") that night, brought me back to something another person told me just a few days prior. Someone whom I've considered a close friend told me that they didn't trust me. Processing those words stung quite bitterly as a flood of thoughts rushed from my heart towards my brain. "What do you mean you don't trust me?! After everything you've already shared with me? After all the times I've been there for you? Don't you know how much I love you? Don't you know how much I care about our friendship? Don't you know that I only want the best for you? Don't you KNOW me?!" And then it all made sense... Even though I could have sworn she knew, maybe she didn't. And maybe the issue wasn't me... Maybe it was her.
What makes us trust a person? And does trust come slowly and go quickly? For me, I find that it's the opposite... Once I feel like I know someone cares about me, I trust them quickly, and stop trusting them slowly. Looking back now at the different friendships in my life, including that particular one, I'm beginning to evaluate which one of my friends I really know and trust, and which ones know and/or trust me. It's easy to tell who is holding back on you :P So then can you still trust those who you know don't trust you? Does one friend have to take a risky leap and trust first in order to encourage the other to do the same? What exactly does one need to prove in order to be trusted? And how do you prove it?
Friendship, just like love, has to be mutual in order to be affective. Or does it??? How much power does it actually have versus the amount of power we give it?
I don't think I have these answers... I'm still kinda learning... I want to be a good friend (whatever that means) and be trusted. I also want to be able to trust others. And I think I do... Perhaps more recklessly than I should, but I rather love than not, rather know than be ignorant, rather reachout than hold back, and rather trust than be paranoid... And I'm ok with having my heart be prodded and poked in the process, because that's what keeps it soft... And I want to have a soft heart. Alongside a strong, hard and wise backbone of course :)
Hearing my friend say those words ("to know is to trust") that night, brought me back to something another person told me just a few days prior. Someone whom I've considered a close friend told me that they didn't trust me. Processing those words stung quite bitterly as a flood of thoughts rushed from my heart towards my brain. "What do you mean you don't trust me?! After everything you've already shared with me? After all the times I've been there for you? Don't you know how much I love you? Don't you know how much I care about our friendship? Don't you know that I only want the best for you? Don't you KNOW me?!" And then it all made sense... Even though I could have sworn she knew, maybe she didn't. And maybe the issue wasn't me... Maybe it was her.
What makes us trust a person? And does trust come slowly and go quickly? For me, I find that it's the opposite... Once I feel like I know someone cares about me, I trust them quickly, and stop trusting them slowly. Looking back now at the different friendships in my life, including that particular one, I'm beginning to evaluate which one of my friends I really know and trust, and which ones know and/or trust me. It's easy to tell who is holding back on you :P So then can you still trust those who you know don't trust you? Does one friend have to take a risky leap and trust first in order to encourage the other to do the same? What exactly does one need to prove in order to be trusted? And how do you prove it?
Friendship, just like love, has to be mutual in order to be affective. Or does it??? How much power does it actually have versus the amount of power we give it?
I don't think I have these answers... I'm still kinda learning... I want to be a good friend (whatever that means) and be trusted. I also want to be able to trust others. And I think I do... Perhaps more recklessly than I should, but I rather love than not, rather know than be ignorant, rather reachout than hold back, and rather trust than be paranoid... And I'm ok with having my heart be prodded and poked in the process, because that's what keeps it soft... And I want to have a soft heart. Alongside a strong, hard and wise backbone of course :)
