The water was murky, deep, and swarming with all kinds of river creatures. Black River is its name. Located near the town of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. My dad was born and raised in that little town before moving to the big city of St. Louis to work for the General Motors Corporation.
Many of my childhood memories take me back to Walnut Ridge. I remember the days of traveling in our green with brown paneling station wagon to see grandma. Before grandma moved into town, she lived deep in the woods. We drove on dirt roads for miles. There were watermelon and rice farms as far as the eye could see.
The scenery was a still frame. Farm houses. Outhouses. Dilapidated schoolhouse. And, an old white church house that use to be the gathering place of worshipers for the little community in the woods.
Many of our trips to see grandma would be spent on the banks of the Black River. It was as primitive as you can get. No RV’s. No electrical hook-ups. No bathhouse. It was camping as rough as rough can be. Thinking back to those days, I never remember anyone complaining about how rough it was.
The Black River was the center of our entertainment as kids and a place where I learned to trust. In order to play in the river, we had to know how to swim. One day, my dad decided he was going to teach me. He said, “I needed to trust him and not be afraid”. He picked me up as high as he could and asked me, “are you ready?” I said, “ready for what?” The next thing I know, I am flying through the air and seeing the water underneath me. I heard myself screaming in one moment and gasping for air the next. I’m kicking my legs and wailing my arms. “HELP!” I cried! My dad said, “It’s ok, I’m right here.” He picked me up and I held tightly to his neck. “I don’t ever want to do that again,” I said. But, I heard my dads voice say to me again, “trust me.” He picked me up as high as he could and said, “ready?” I said, “No!!!!!” Apparently, he didn’t hear me because I was flying through the air again. Gasping, kicking, and gasping. It was in the Black River that I not only learned how to swim, I learned how to trust.
Trusting in someone takes time. There are many who have been disappointed, abused, and/or neglected. To tell someone to trust in a God whom they cannot see and that He will never disappoint, abuse, nor neglect anyone has to be tested and approved over time.
I believe that the more we trust God and allow ourselves to be vulnerable and open to Him, the more we develop a deep trust in Him. Psalm 50:15 says “I want you to trust Me in your times of trouble so I can rescue you and you can give Me glory.” (LB) The psalmist said in Psalm 13:5, "But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me." (NLT).
Throughout Scripture, God has promised to meet our needs and always be there for us. Whether the needs are: Emotional. Financial. Physical. Spiritual. Relational. Or, just everyday needs. In fact, one of the Hebrew names for God is Jehovah Jirah, which means, “I am the God who provides for you.” Genesis 22:14. Paul said to a group of Christians: “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NLT)
Life can be like being thrown into the Black River for the very first time: Gasping and kicking and gasping. Life isn’t easy, people will disappoint us, and some will even be abusive. However, God is always faithful to providing us with the resources we need to live physically and spiritually.
Remember, Be God Controlled!
Brian