In our house we look forward to the end of August. It’s my daughters birthday AND it’s when Menards starts putting out their Christmas decor! My daughter and I love to go see all the tree displays and new decorations. Yes, we are those people who get joy out of early Christmas! But with the early Christmas also comes the Halloween decorations, and my daughter is just terrified at some of the decor. Unfortunately, to get the Christmas stuff, you have to get past some of the scary stuff.

One day my daughter and I were headed to Menards and she was already asking tons of questions.

“Mom, is the scary stuff there?”

“Mom can we go a secret way?”

“Mom will you carry me so I can close my eyes?”

For the entire ride there she came up with every question she could think of to know what she was walking in to. Without even thinking I replied. “Honey, just trust me.”

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Trust me. How many times have I been walking into a situation with God that seems scary. I am asking Him a TON of questions about what will happen — what will it be like, and want to know all the details. His reply is always “trust me.” My heart was broken at the thought that my daughter didn’t trust that my plan for the day was not good. I had no intention of taking her past the scary Halloween stuff, but knew she would be thrilled once getting to the Christmas stuff. I knew that the brief moment she would be near the scary faces would be worth it once she saw the Christmas wonderland… do you see where I am going here?

As I processed this all the way to Menards verses began to fly through my memory,

“For I know the plans for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11

“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” 2 Corinthians 4:17

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Sometimes we have to walk through things that seem scary. Maybe a step of faith we need to take, or an unexpected event that we don’t know how we are going to get through. Yet, in these moments, we need to remember the goodness of our Father and that He is trustworthy. He knows where we are currently is difficult, but as we trust in His plan we will arrive at a place of joy and peace.

So we made it to Menards and passed the scary Halloween stuff and I got to see that moment on my daughters face of pure excitement as she saw the Christmas lights. The momentary joy she had from those lights is nothing in comparison to the joy we experience when walking in trust and obedience to God.

Are you facing a time in your life that seems “scary”? Here the words of our good Father saying, “trust Me.”