Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV

That is how Jesus sent out the 70 disciples, encouraging them to trust the Lord to provide for their needs as they went from town to town, preparing the way for Jesus’ coming. He exhorted them to not to weigh themselves down with provisions, but rather to step out in faith, trusting that God would see them through and bring them safely back when their tasks were completed, regardless of what metaphorical wolves might show up along the way. We don’t know the details of each pair’s experience, but scripture tells us they returned with joy from their successful missions. What an example they are for us today!

In the first half of our lives, few of us would ever think of accepting any assignment in such a cavalier way. We’d want every “i” dotted, every “t” crossed to our satisfaction. We’d make every effort to be prepared for any eventuality that might crop up along the way. Most of us in those years strive hard to maintain a tidy, structured life, keeping everything under control—as impossible as that may be. Putting up a good front is everything. By mid-life, however, most of us have had some experience of failure, loss, humiliation, or lack of control, where we have had to face that we are powerless to change the situation on our own, where we can no longer pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. It is those experiences that open our eyes to see that underneath are the everlasting arms of Love, the sure foundation of God’s holy and life-giving Presence sustaining us come what may.

Trust in the Divine comes out of our experience of knowing “the Kingdom of God has come near” in small ways and large, that Emmanuel is here right now, that nothing—nothing—can separate us from the steadfast love of God. Trust in God is the grace-filled gift of the second half of life that keeps us looking forward to see where the path leads.