Mindy Lee Hopman

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 (ESV)

Letting Go of Clarity

Recently, I heard a story about a man who asked Mother Teresa to pray for him. When she asked him what to pray for, he said, “Clarity. Pray that I have clarity.”   

Mother Teresa answered him, “I will not do that.” She said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” She continued to say, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.” 

In moments of confusion, I have felt the same way. While I wished I had clarity, all I had was trust.

Holding onto Trust

God gently reminded my heart that Scripture is full of people who did not have a clear understanding of God’s ways. While He can see the big picture, we can only see a snapshot of time. That is the way it has always been. His ways have always been higher and better. When we are in the midst of it, it’s okay not to understand. 

What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. John 13:7 (ESV)

So what did the people who have gone ahead of us do? God drew their hearts to Him, and they held on tightly to hope, trusting Him right in the middle of their stories:

Eve faced shame and questions after the fall, yet God provided clothes for her and promised a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15, 21).

Jacob wrestled through the night and trusted God as He limped into dawn with a new name, Israel (Genesis 32:24–28).

Joseph trusted God, even when he was thrown into a pit and later traveled from the prison to the palace (Genesis 37–50).

Jochebed hid her baby when the king had ordered Hebrew boys killed (Exodus 1:15–22), so she set him in a basket on the Nile and Pharaoh’s daughter found him (Exodus 2:1–10, 6:20; Numbers 26:59).

God sent Moses to the wilderness, where He shaped him and prepared his heart to eventually lead the people of Israel out of bondage and into freedom (Exodus 2:15–25; 3:1–12).

Rahab trusted God because of the great stories she had heard about Him. So, when the spies came to her, she hid them, hung a scarlet cord, and was grafted into the lineage of Jesus Christ (Joshua 2; Hebrews 11:31; Matthew 1:5; James 2:25).

David prayed “How long, O LORD?” while learning how to trust God in the secret spaces of caves (1 Samuel 16:13; 22:1–2; Psalm 13:1).

Esther fasted and prayed, and because she trusted God, He used her to preserve an entire nation (Esther 2:7; 4:14).

Joseph trusted and obeyed the angel who told him to take Mary as his wife, although he did not fully understand (Matthew 1:20-24).

Mary treasured and pondered what she could not yet grasp as she held the Savior of the World in her arms (Luke 2:19).

Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

Over the years, every person actively poured their hearts out to the same God and trusted Him with the same faithfulness.

The Same God & The Same Invitation

I hear His whisper: Trust Me. I am with you.

While I wish I had clarity, I choose to believe the middle of the story is the key part where the greatest learning takes place. I don’t know every plot twist, but I know I can trust the Author of my story. It is in the moments of hard that the curriculum God has written to mold my heart is revealed.

It is in those moments that God grows complete dependence on Him, shapes my character, and positions me for purposes I cannot yet see.

In the midst of remembering what God has done in the past and holding only my Living Hope, there is the space called trust. 

In That Space Called TRUST, This Is What I Do

• RETURN to the Word: reading, studying, and learning more about Him always helps me REMEMBER His promises. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
  
• TAKE every thought captive to Christ: Is it true or is it a feeling? I do my best to hold onto the truth and let go of the feelings. “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV)
  
• WORSHIP through the moments: Praise music changes heart posture. “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1 (ESV)
  
• HOLD onto HOPE, with GRACE, and a heart full of GRATITUDE. Waiting with expectancy isn’t wasting time; it’s preparation. “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength…” Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
  
• SURROUND yourself with sisters and/or brothers. When you surround yourself with sisters and/or brothers in Christ, you walk together through good times and hard times. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” Proverbs 17:17 (CSB)

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (ESV)

Heavenly Father, when I can not trace Your hand, I trust Your heart. Help me stay in the Word, take every thought captive to Christ, worship through the hard moments, and hold onto hope with grace and a heart full of gratitude. Plant me by Your living waters, form Christ in me, and work through me in Your perfect timing. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.

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. Isaiah 26:3–4 (ESV)