My Relative and Simple Truths

I can remember the first time I picked an orange from a tree. It was in one of my older relatives' backyard. I marveled at the experience, that I could take something from a tree and eat it without any preparation. I had become so disconnected with nature that a experience like this was fascinating. I was 25 at the time, just out of college, learning and experiencing life as an adult if you will. I mentioned this to my relative, who was in his 80's and he smiled and laughed.

We got talking about life, and the thought occurred to me that my relative, who has known Christ since He was a little boy and walks with Him today, knows a thing or two about being steadfast in the faith. So being 25 and new, I asked him what wisdom He could impart to me, after walking with the Lord for 60 years. What did he say?

"Trust the Lord with everything, He is always faithful."

Crestfallen, I nodded politely and thanked him for the advice. Inside, I was saying, "That's it?!!?!?! That's so simple, I learned that in sunday school decades ago. I thought I was going to get some cool sweet thought that I could mull over and really take to heart, but I guess not."

2008. A decade later, and the truth my relative gave to me that sunny afternoon in the backyard by the orange tree is now coming to fruition. I can trace much of my angst and difficulties to my lack of trust in the Lord. I don't trust that He has something better. He has something that will blow my mind. But I don't trust that. And my relative, who gave me those words, suddenly seems much wiser than I had thought a decade ago. The truth, which I thought simple to the point of mundane, was in reality profound and deep. I just chose not to dwell upon those truths.

Isn't that what we are like when we hear some of the simple truths that are said over and over in our lives? We hear them and think, "that's pretty simple, ok moving right along..." but we don't dwell upon it, meditate upon a simple truth and really soak it in. Meditating on God's Word. This must be one of the reasons for keeping the Sabbath...how much truth have I missed because I move onto the next thing, looking for another truth to sample and move on?