In Chapter 8 of One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp discusses issues that may derail our trust in God and how thanksgiving (eucharisteo) rebuilds trust. She begins the chapter with the following quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
Ann onfesses that historically trust has not been her natural posture; rather, anxiety has been her “default stiffness”. Instead of folding her hands in prayer, she’s balled them into tight fists of control- what she calls “pseudopower from the pit”. St. Paul describes the proper perspective in Romans 15:13- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Trust, Ann adds, requires intentional and focused work. While stress and anxiety may seem easier than excercising the discipline of trust, the bottom line is that stress and anxiety bring no joy. Joy must be worth the effort of trust. But how can we count on life when ou
