The assurance that we will not be left when we are in trouble is probably the most reassuring thing we can hear.  While the economic crisis is not what I want to discuss today, it is interesting how the context of the Hebrews passage may apply to the present money trouble.  "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"

It appears that contentment is directly connected with faith in the promise of not being left.

It's intriguing to me that a person who fears being alone in a house at night can often (not always) be comforted by the presence of a helpless infant sleeping contentedly in the next room.  Isn't that weird?  Despite the fact that the baby could do absolutely nothing to protect an adult, his/her presence is reassuring.  Why is that?

You've had the experience of talking to someone and they appear to be listening, but you can tell they are not really there, even though they are looking right at you.  Isn't that weird?   (You've probably also had the experience of someone talking to you and all of a sudden you realize you have missed some of what they said because you had "gone away" temporarily. You wonder if they noticed but it doesn't seem right to ask, "Did you notice that I went away for awhile there?"  :) 

Sometimes presence is the only thing that is reassuring.  Words don't even seem to comfort much, even though we try.  Our third child second daughter Janelle miscarried again Tuesday night, at 16 weeks this time.  Third one now.  Each of her three siblings is pregnant, one to deliver any day now.  I haven't felt so sad in quite awhile.  What does one say?  What does she say?  What do they say?  Seems like a group cry would be good. (Of course, in the midst of this we are all aware that there are much worse things that can happen to people.  But that doesn't change anything about the realities of where we are now, and we need to let the present be what it is.)

Are you like me, that deep down you feel the vulnerability having to do with the possibilities of no one being there for you when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not enough for yourself?  That fear may control us more than we think.  Of course we may work pretty hard to avoid ever being in a situation where we are convinced we are not enough for ourselves and so we may not feel that vulnerable very often!

Apparently Jesus experienced that fear also, and instead of protecting himself from it, abandoned himself to it.  In other words, he put his life in the hands of his Father when he could do nothing (because of his identity, because of his mission) to save himself.  To abandon oneself to God when God has forsaken you is a mighty step of trust, I would say!  Yet he took that step and, because of that, trust in Jesus Christ/God is the safest thing anyone can do. We are enabled to trust even when we do not feel the Presence.

May this week and next be an encouragement to you as many people join Jesus in his walk towards the cross this Lenten season.

"Lord Jesus, I know nothing about what you faced in accomplishing your mission.  I'm not aware of anyone who would like to kill me for being and doing good.  I suspect I would have a problem with it if there were such persons because I think I wouldn't deserve it.  But help me to believe the message of your life, that trust in Father God always leads to redemption, though it may go through the darkest places of despair where evil is pretending that it is more powerful than the good.  Amen"

Sheldon Swartz, M.A, LMFT works with individuals, couples, and families to identify the ways of life and death in their lives and help uncover the motivation to choose that which leads to life, whether it be through counseling or spiritual direction.