trust Archives - Moving Peaces

Thursday Three

May 21, 2015Samantha Gratton

It’s time for me to make a mad dash (or sorts) and write the first three things that come to my head to sum up the week. I’m so glad you seem to like reading it…it makes me feel less crazy and justifies taking a few random pictures.

1. People will surprise you. I’ve experienced such kindness from strangers this past week. People I’ve never met before became fast friends and brought a certain sweetness to my day. Being willing and open to accept that generosity and hear life stories has brought so much joy and abundance to my life.

2. Trust your instincts. Yes, be open. Yes, take chances. But also, use discernment. I’d love to say everyone is kind and considerate in this world, but I can’t. Hope for the best but keep an eye out and step away if needed. Know what your boundaries are, and when they’ve been crossed.

3. Appreciate the small things. Go to a local coffee shop and talk to the regulars. Count all the cars with stick figure families on the back window and think of all the kids that love having a sticker to represent them. Admire a skyline or enjoy a sunset. There’s beauty and delight to be found in the little moments.

Thursday Three

April 10, 2014July 22, 2014Samantha Gratton

Well hey there. What a week to review. It’s pretty hard to top a week of vacation, so obviously, I didn’t. This week has been fairly stressful in an odd assortment of ways but the weather has been beautiful, albeit pollen-filled. For those of you who don’t live in North Carolina, you should know that when I say pollen-filled air, I mean you can literally see it. Giant yellow pollen dust clouds that leave a visible layer on everything outdoors.

1. The more rushed a person is to seal a deal, the less I trust them. For a whopping 24 hours there was some sort of freelance deal that I was a part of that made my head spin. I was sooo glad it didn’t come to fruition in the end. Business can be funny and sometimes it is hard to know who to trust. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what can be considered acceptable business practices and where the line should be. I’ll own up to being a millennial wanting to find meaning in my work, but I won’t apologize for it. So, what kind of business do I want to be a part of and represent? What are the red flags and why do they seem so alarming? What motivates the decisions?

2. You’re not in it all alone. Sometimes I take on the weight of everything happening around me. I wouldn’t recommend it. For a few days this past week I’ve just felt frantic in my stress. Sure, they were stressful things, but it’s not all up to me to handle alone. This is why we have friends and family and a God who cares for us. It’s not worth me hanging on to all the things that wear me down.

3. Saving up always pays. I’ve mentioned money things once or twice before, but I’ll give you a little more background. When we got married, we did the Financial Peace University video series with Dave Ramsey. To be honest, I think anyone who does the class should take it with a grain of salt. At the core, it’s a decent system though, one that encouraged us to pay off our school loans quicker and save up an emergency fund. It wasn’t always easy or fun and meant a lot of saying “no” to things. But it has enabled us to live with so much more freedom and flexibility. It allowed us to move without having jobs lined up and provides us with a buffer when we need it. Would I sometimes rather travel the world and worry about the money later? Heck yes. Instead we’re slowly putting money away to take a big trip in a few years. Neither of us have super high-paying jobs, but we live within our means and save what we can. All that to say, I am so grateful for this mentality to save for a rainy day. Because it will rain, but now we don’t have to live in fear of that day.

Autonomous

October 17, 2012Samantha Gratton

With this move, we’ve had less people to lean on in certain regards, making it so much more apparent when we do ask for help. It’s embarrassing and awkward to reach out and say, “I barely know you, but I need you!”

But something I’ve realized is that in those moments, awkward and uncomfortable as they may be, we bond with people. We reach beyond our comfort level and into a level of trust, whether we want to or not. That’s where relationships are formed. That’s the same moment that we realize we can’t do it on our own.

Do I wish I could just go through my day without asking for help? YES! I want to be able to do it all and do it all now. I hate the feeling of discomfort and disadvantage as I ask yet again for help from a stranger. But how would I ever meet people or make friends or grow or learn?

I think it works that way with God sometimes, too. We need him all the time, but when we can’t do it on our own, it becomes incredibly more apparent that we are mere human beings. We can’t control our lives as much as we (I) want to. We can’t do it on our own. Because if we could, it’d be incredibly lonely and unfulfilling. The days we can get to work without a ride or find a restaurant without advice doesn’t connect us with the people around us. It’s incredibly important to our relationships to need people and to be needed. So when we say to God that “we don’t need him”, that’s not really a great way to build a relationship. (Also, it’s not true, but that’s a whole ‘nother thing). When we go about living our lives though without turning to him, trusting in him, asking for him and relying on him—isn’t that what we’re saying though? That we don’t need him?

For whatever reason, we think we want to be independent and autonomous, both with people and with God. It’s as if admitting that we aren’t able to do it all without help would mean we were weak. Or that needing some help makes us inadequate or unintelligent. But that simply isn’t true. Sure, sometimes it’s humbling and even awkward to ask for help, but living life without it is a far worse scenario. Life without people in it is void. Life without friends is lonely and overwhelming. Life without a God who loves you is lacking. It doesn’t make you stronger; it’s empty when it doesn’t have to be.