The Trust Fall

You've probably done it at summer camp or at a team building retreat... the Trust Fall is fairly well known. It involves standing with your back to a group of co-workers or friends and falling backwards into their arms.  It forces you to trust them and believe that they will catch you. I had the privilege of hearing an amazing story this morning. This is the story of a "trust fall," but one of a completely different kind. 

Jodie Wilson shared the life changing journey that she and her family have recently endured. When her son, Spencer, was only 13 years old he was diagnosed with  Rhabdomyocsarcoma.  He completed eight months of chemo on March 15, 2010 and was in remission for six months. Sadly, he relapsed on September 16, 2010.  After nine months of chemo, radiation and a vaccine trial at NIH in Bethesda, MD, he was declared in remission on June 14, 2011. This past Monday they found out that his scans are still clear! Spencer is now 16 years old, enjoying life, and praising God!

We are able to read the last few sentences of the paragraph above so we know that Spencer is currently in remission but can you imagine being in Jodie's shoes when they were given the initial diagnosis or when they received the devastating news of a relapse? It is in those moments that she learned to trust God. When telling her story she said that she had to repeatedly engage in the "trust fall" with God. Saying you trust God is easily done but actually trusting in a situation as serious as Spencer's, probably isn't as easy as it seems.

During the journey, Jodie discovered a new meaning for the word trust. She now understands that trusting does not mean that we will get what we want. Trusting means that we are willing to fall into the arms of Jesus, desiring to know Him, not just receive His gifts. Real trust says, "I don't care what comes at me because I believe that YOU are greater!" When we are trusting God we are releasing control and believing that no matter what, God has the final say...we are already conquerors! Truly trusting means that we are willing to turn our back on our worries and fears and fall freely in to the arms of our Lord.

I was overwhelmed with compassion as Jodie told her family's story. When we hear stories like these, we automatically put ourselves in the shoes of the story teller. The thought of dealing with the things Jodie has dealt with just breaks my heart but I would imagine that Jodie sees this experience, in some ways, as a blessing. Jodie was able to experience God in a way that others rarely do. God cannot comfort us if we are not hurting, so in that sense, the suffering she and her family endured was a gift. 

God gives each of us the opportunity to "trust fall" into His arms. How we react when those opportunities arise is our choice. When trouble comes, and it will, we can become bitter and angry or we can choose to trust the hands that created us and place our hope in His promises. Today I am thankful that I was able to hear Jodie share her story. Her testimony, her attitude and her desire to share what God has done for her family were truly a blessing to me. She also reminded me that God loves us just as much in the bad times as He does in the good times. A simple but profound truth that should be etched on our hearts.

"How glorious the splendor of the human heart that trust that it is loved." -Brennan Manning

If you would like to read more about Spencer's story, please visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/spencerwilson