A New Kind of Trust

Pittsburgh, the hills of North Carolina, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia... our kids have taken summer ministry trips to these places.  We have willingly sent them off, and they have been more-than-willing participants!  Each year, our daughter (in particular) can hardly contain her joy at the thought of working with this team!  She is always SO EXCITED to go!

This year, the trip is a little different.  And I don't know what I was thinking... Somehow, I thought this one would be easier.  Afterall, we're just sending our girl to the other side of our fair city.  She will be minutes away at any given time.  Literally.  I guess I thought my heart would be at peace knowing that she is so close to home.

And for the record, my heart is at peace -- but, here's what I wasn't prepared for:

• finding out that the ministry that the team will be associated with this week will be (basically) at the end of the street we USED to live on.  I have not spoken of it here, but the move to our current home had a lot to do with the fact that I spotted a drug deal going down in our very own driveway.  As the SAHM of a 2 and 6 year old, I no longer felt safe in my own home.  That's the neighborhood where our daughter will spend a good portion of her week.
• reading (the morning after we dropped off our daughter) of a crime linked to the very street where our daughter will sleep each night this week.

Am I panicked?  Absolutely not.  However, I would be lying if I told you that I don't think about it a little. Obviously the ministry leaders are aware of the things that go on in the neighborhood.  Obviously, the team leaders are taking every precaution to care for our kids.  And obviously, Satan is using this as a scare tactic.

Well, my God is bigger than all of this.  He's the one who I am turning to with my doubts.  And he is the one who is encouraging my heart.

Don't tell God how big your problems* are.

Tell your problems* how big GOD is!

*substitute the word "worries."