Trust! Your Inheritance Awaits

Trust. It’s a powerful word, isn’t it? Almost alienating if you feel you have none, and I often notice that I don’t. I encountered my lack of trust the other day. My mother and I were on our way to the grocery store, and she was telling me that from now on whenever she feels frustrated or powerless, she’s going to recite Psalm 23 (my mother has a knack for esoteric interpretations of scripture). If you don’t know it, it’s the one that begins “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” She started reciting the verses, and the words reminded me of my own fears.

“I’ve forgotten to trust in the abundance of the universe,” I thought. “I’ve lost faith in the God within.”

I was teary eyed and grateful for the reminder. I felt inspired to follow the wisdom of divine intelligence. I wanted to restore my faith.

But how?

What does it take to simply relax into life; to watch events flow by, lazy as a river, or to remain in utter tranquility as they descend upon you in a thundering downpour? In other words, how can we be in the world, but not of it? The answer, my friends, is trust. Trust that all is well. Trust that we will be provided for. Trust that the bumpy road is temporary. Trust that we have the power and intelligence to move through every situation in a perfect state of grace. Easily said, not so easily done.

Let’s face it: we’re all control freaks. Although we might not need control over the behavior of others or the state of the house or what we have for dinner, I’m fairly certain that we all want some measure of control over the direction and quality of our lives. This is natural. The only problem is we get lost, thinking these things begin and end with the world around us. We tell ourselves stories to defend this perspective and to justify our problems. Stories like: “I was laid off because they hired someone younger. I’m too old now to find another good job.” Or “I never got my Master’s degree because my mother became ill, and I had to take care of her. Now I’ll never make enough money.” How about “My relationship with my kids is bad because my ex-wife is always saying terrible things about me. They’ll never love me now.” We all have a story like this, and I’m not attacking the feelings of frustration that accompany these stories. I would, however, like to address the logic behind them.

The fact is, our lives and what we experience in them begin and end with us. To some extent we understand this, and we set about creating our lives accordingly: working towards goals, facing challenges and trying to live up to our full potential. We may even have a regular spiritual practice in place, but during all of that meditating, chanting and working and striving, how often do we reflect on who is directing the show? Who is choosing the goals? Who is figuring out how to reach them? I bet for most of us the answer isn’t “God,” but it could be. Divinity dwells within each of us. It is the universal, infinite intelligence that empowers everything, and we all have access to it. So, why don’t we trust it to make the best decision possible in any situation? Right now, when we make a decision, we rely almost entirely on our personalities: our opinions, our education, our upbringing, our politics, (okay, and even our spirituality). Yet, these are nothing compared to divine intelligence!

Give up control of your life to the God within you, and see how your life changes. Truly, this is the only way to live up to our full potential as human beings. Life isn’t about what we do. It’s about how willing we are to merge with divine intelligence. And in order to merge fully, to give our life over entirely to the divine, we need to trust. Don’t worry. You won’t disappear when you do, but your perspective will change. You’ll feel safe. You’ll feel secure. You’ll feel lighter, knowing that you are provided for. You’ll feel happier, knowing that stress is a waste of life energy. I could fill the page with the benefits of this approach to life.

Sounds utopian, right? And nearly impossible to achieve?

Well, there a couple of things we can do to get started. First, we must fully embody the attitude that everything we need is already within our grasp. Now that’s trust, and it’s what Psalm 23 is all about. Knowing that we are safe and well provided for. Secondly, we need to understand just how incompetent our personalities are at helping us live joyful and abundant lives. Think about it. What is a personality? It’s a conglomeration of belief systems, convictions and opinions developed over a lifetime and based on interpretations of past events. In other words, it is not immutable, and it certainly isn’t infallible. Yet, we give it total reign over our lives. Yikes! Have you ever heard the expression “convictions make convicts?” We are prisoners of our convictions and belief systems! They promote unconscious behavior; they lull us into an opinionated stupor, and we make one choice after another in this sleepy state of mind. Thankfully, we always have the choice to wake up and see things differently. We can see things through the eyes of God, the God within.

You can begin this transformation today. Whenever you feel angry or frustrated, take a moment and breathe before you act. Sit still. Allow the emotions expression within you. Acknowledge them, and then recognize that they are temporary. They can pass as quickly as they arose. Now, when you feel calmer, make a decision. You just brought yourself a tiny bit closer to the God within. Acting consciously is acting divinely. Give it a try. It might change your life.

Sara Chetkin was born in Key West, Fl in 1979. When she was 15 she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis, and spent much of the next 15 years traveling around the world seeking healing and spiritual insight. These travels and explorations are the basis for her first book, The Healing Curve. She graduated from Skidmore College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. After graduation she moved to Somerville, MA and worked in various cafes and restaurants, while pursuing an education in herbal medicine as well as in spiritual studies at Delphi University in McCaysville, GA. In 2004 she began a master’s program at the New England School of Acupuncture, and in 2007 earned a Master of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental medicine. She is a Ro-hun therapist and an Ordained Minister with the Church of Wisdom, Delphi University. She lives in New York State with her husband, Brecht, and their son, Adrian.

The Healing Curve: A Catalyst to Consciousness, published by Rainbow Ridge Books, ISBN 978-1-937907-8, is available on Amazon.com, BN.com, and bookstores everywhere.