“I trust you with my life.”
Let those words resonate for a second. Marinate in your soul. Imagine someone saying to you “I trust you with my life.” Out of the blue. Just having a normal conversation up until this short sentence leaves their lips:
”I trust you with my life.”
Wow. That’s a BIG responsibility to put on another person. While I hope to be the kind of person that someone trusts, hearing it said out loud “I trust you with my life” hit a chord so deep in me I didn’t even know it was in there. My body immediately reacted to those words and I shook inside like an earthquake had awakened me. While flattered, I am also terrified at that thought. My mind is immediately drawn to the most dramatic, worst possible outcome scenarios it can think of as it usually is. Nearly impossible scenarios that aren’t likely in the least, but terrifying in the most.
Now, I wasn’t in front of a mirror so I can’t say for sure whether my facial expressions or ghostly complexion would have given my internal thoughts away. However, I can tell you that hearing someone say that to me has stuck with me for well over a year now and I still sometimes randomly think about it. Like right now.
At birth, we meet our parents. The ones whom, in most circumstances, we trust with our life. They teach us how to walk, eat, run…I could go on but you get the idea here. They’re there for those major life milestones. All of the core memories your brain is setting up, they’re there for them. In that instance, you trust them, with your life. I’m not sure about any of you, but I think part of (if not all of some days) parenting during toddler years is just continually keeping them from accidentally harming themselves over and over again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught a kid mid dive…but that’s because they trust me, with their life. Does it terrify me? In the moment, yes. Would I continue to do my best to save them no matter what? Also, absolutely yes. They know that.
How many people can you honestly say you would trust with your life? It’s okay if this number varies. People come and go in our lives, and there’s usually a reason we’re protected from them anyway whether we realize it or not. For the most part, I’d say you should be able to count these people on just one hand. Maybe you don’t even need a whole hand, I know I don’t.
There’s only ONE person who I can think of that I would trust with my life. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this, but if you haven’t guessed, it’s Jesus. No other person has sacrificed their self for me the same way that He has. The selflessness that He showed. He gave up everything for me. For you. For all of us. There is no other person more worthy to trust holding your life in their hands. He created your life after all.
Think back to how many you counted on your hand before? Has it changed? Maybe you decided to cut a few out, but I also hope you remember to add Jesus to your count. He certainly had you on his count when it mattered the most. People will come and go in your life as you grow and change, but Jesus will be by your side forever.
Now that you’ve marinated a bit on these words, I want you to imagine something for me. I want you to visualize Jesus. He’s on the cross looking down at your tear-filled face. You drop to your knees in despair. Your face cradled by your shaking hands. You’re wondering so many things at once. Why is this happening? How could anyone put another person through this torment? The site alone makes you weep instantly. What can I do to help? And then, in the back of your mind, you remember. Your sobs slow down and you look up at him and you tell him “I trust you with my life.” He smiles down at you knowing that his sacrifice is worth every agonizing second. His eyes pierce through any doubt and you are at peace.
To err is human. I make mistakes DAILY. Yet I also know that I can still trust Jesus with my life. No matter what scenario. I know that He has a plan for me to succeed, even if His plan isn’t MY plan. He won’t let you or me down.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
While it made me really think, I hope the person who said this to me knows the depths of my heart she strung that day. More importantly, I hope she has Jesus on her hand count too. I am honored, albeit unqualified, to ever be considered as that person.
Feel free to share your thoughts below. I’d love to hear from you. I hope and pray that you remember to keep Jesus on your hand count.
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