Words of Faith: Natalie's story on trust

Faith, Hope, and Love
A Words of Faith story written by Natalie Monk

One definition of faith is trust. In relationships, trust is as important as love.

I was reminded of this yesterday when an older man shared how he met and married his wife. His father-in-law-to-be wasn’t too keen on the match but, seeing his daughter had made her choice, decided to have a talk with the young man.

The girl’s father said, “Son, there’s one question I need you to answer before you can marry my girl.”

“What’s that?” the suitor asked.

The dad leaned forward. “You trust her?”

The fellow balked, “I-I love her.”

“That’s not what I asked. You can love without trust, but that will make for a miserable marriage if you’re always wondering about her faithfulness.”

Finally the young man answered, “Yes, I trust her.”

“Can she trust you?” the father asked.

The young man hesitated, since he was well known as a carouser and all around mischief-maker.

The father-in-law-to-be continued, “I don’t need to know where my wife is, who she’s with, and what she’s doing all hours of the day. I don’t worry about that…because I know where she’s not. I know who she’s not with. I know what she’s not doing. I trust her. That’s something that’s gotta be earned, son. I know my daughter loves you. But if she can’t trust you, she’ll have a miserable life. I don’t want that for her.”

Of course, things eventually worked out and the lovebirds married. Decades later, they’re now enjoying their children and grandchildren.

But the story stuck in my head, namely the part about love and trust.

We love God…but do we really trust Him? Does He influence every decision in our lives, big and small, especially during the hard seasons of waiting or facing the unknown?

Last year I had a fairly steady income teaching piano, a set schedule, and familiar routine.

I was comfortable.

Then my dad resigned the church he’d pastored since I was a young teenager. Having bathed the whole situation in prayer during the previous year, my dad stepped out on faith, sure of God’s direction, but that’s about it.

How did this affect me? We have a family singing group, and as I’m still living at home, we’ve always traveled with my dad and sung where he preached.

Dad’s phone began to ring, and pastors we knew scheduled him to preach revival meetings at their churches across the country.

As our schedule got busier, I felt God leading me to cancel my piano lessons. That’s where love and trust once again met at a crossroads for me. Would I venture out on faith like Dad or stick with the familiar? Tell my family (and God), “Sorry, I can’t give this up right now, you’ll have to manage without me”? What would people think of me, traveling with my parents, 27 years old and still unmarried, with no other “real” occupation except the hope of publishing a novel. There are loads of pressure in a choice like that.

Then came the game-changer. Nothing new. In fact, it was more an accumulation of “old” things. Memories of times God had seen my family through when there seemed to be no solution. God has never let me down. He’s earned my trust through years of faithfulness. Not because He has to, but because that’s who He is.

I must smile as I admit He’d been working me around to His point of view for some time, I just hadn’t seen it.

When God wants you to step out in faith, but you don’t want to leave what’s familiar and comfortable, God can make “comfortable” become uncomfortable, so much that stepping away from it is now a relief. Then we discover the joy of God’s presence (Psalm 16:11), and the blessings which follow our obedience far outweigh the “comfortable” bondage we didn’t realize we were in.

By the way, He’s provided every need since I said “yes” to Him.

The old man’s father-in-law was right. Without trust, love can be a miserable thing, but where trust has been earned, as God has earned surely earned ours, you have a strong foundation providing hope for the future.

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Author bio:

Natalie Monk writes historical romance full of laughter, love, and redemption. 

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Natalie is represented by the Steve Laube Agency and is currently plotting her third novel. 

She is a home school graduate, gospel singer, portrait photographer, devotional speaker and former post-hole digger. 

She loves sweet tea, book talk, porch swings, and watching musicals and action movies with her family. 

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Connect with Natalie:
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