Trust Without Borders {or The Secret to Real Intimacy with God}

So. I have two daughters.

One daughter was placed in my arms on a Sunday evening after ten hours of labor. It was a crazy experience to give birth in an Asian hospital, let me tell you. I was relieved when they finally handed me my baby, squalling and kicking. I looked down at that baby girl and thought she had the biggest mouth I’d ever seen on a kid.

Like most moms, I was exhausted and sleep deprived those first few months, but when my baby smiled that first real smile, I was head over heels smitten. That girl has had me wrapped around her finger ever since!

 

Spiritually speaking, am I a daughter full of confidence in my Father’s love and ready to boldly live life each day because I know He’s got my back? Or am I spiritually marginalized by doubt and distrust? Do I shrink back because of unbelief? What could happen if we really believed God? Join me and start today on your own 40 day journey of trust. Because we really can trust...without borders.

My other daughter was not placed in my arms when she was born.

Instead, she was placed in a cardboard box and left outside the orphanage gates.

Her umbilical cord was uncut and she was estimated to be a mere hours old. In the orphanage, she was assigned a generic name- “Child of the State.” We are left to imagine what her life was like while there. She came to us at 12 months of age not even able to roll over and with scars of abuse on her body.

Emotionally, she was even more wounded.

She had trouble attaching, trusting, and being part of the family. Still does. I call her my Little Bit and even though she has brought great heartache into our family, she is truly one of the richest, most meaningful gifts God has ever given me.

Both daughters, who happen to be only four months apart in age, are fully mine.

They are equal in status, standing, resource, and provision. They share the same last name, the same bedroom, the same hairbrush.

But there is one huge difference between my two daughters. One confidently knows her place and unquestioningly trusts her mama while the other one does not.

Doubt and distrust marginalize my older daughter’s potential.

It makes her withdraw and self-soothe. It causes her to isolate herself and not ask for help. It feeds her desire for un-healthy independence and also invites a paralyzing victim mentality.

I’ve watched her many times and marveled at how different things could be if only she jumped in with abandon. If only she fully trusted, took a leap of faith.

And it has struck me how both daughters are fully and equally mine, yet one is marginalized by her own doubt.

God has used my two daughters to challenge me to ask, which daughter am I?

Spiritually speaking, am I a daughter full of confidence in my Father’s love and ready to boldly live life each day because I know He’s got my back? Or am I spiritually marginalized by doubt and distrust? Do I shrink back because of unbelief?

What about you?

And what could happen if we really believed God? If we laid hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of for us? Because we have everything in Christ. It’s only our doubt and failure to lay hold of that, that can marginalize us.

 

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I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be hindered by doubt, distrust, and insecurity.

It’s time to lengthen our moorings and deepen our trust. Time to jump in with abandon and today, I’d like to invite you to take that journey.

This is a journey of trust. A journey of letting go of the past, of the fears, of the insecurities that marginalize our potential.

It’s time.

I believe so many daughters of God are living marginalized by doubt and distrust… we are plagued by spiritual insecurity.

And I believe that can change. I believe God wants it to change and we can say yes right now.

So the invitation is to start your own 40 day journey of trust. This year. This week. How about NOW?

Let’s do this.

Because we really can trust… without borders.

 

 

Start Here! Trust Without Borders Resources:

 

The Trust Without Borders Experiment: Print this sheet of  40 promises and follow this  simple technique for trusting them for 40 days

The Devotional: Grab the companion devotional Trust Without Borders: A 40-Day Devotional Journey to Deepen, Strengthen, and Stretch Your Faith in God, available now in print and digital formats.

40 Days of Trust: You can also follow the complete blog series with daily trust plunges here.

 

 

 

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12 Comments

  1. This is yet again a thought-provoking article. I’d like to claim that I am a daughter who trusts fully my Father but who am I kidding? There are times when I question Him and try to fix things on my own. A lot of times actually. I’m grateful that despite the heartache I bring Him, He never gives up on me. He’s patience is beyond our comprehension and that pushes me to try harder and try again to trust Him despite the doubts in my heart.

    1. Amen and amen, my friend. I’m on the journey with you. As the song says, this one thing remains: His love never fails. So thankful for truth and blog friends to walk out the faith life with.

  2. God provided once again! I have a similar story and will be speaking at my small-ish church about this topic, though I needed a third-person story as my daughters will be in the audience. How wonderful that I get to share yours–so similar to mine! I hope you don’t mind — I’ll be mentioning your blog, of course, and praying for more to join the journey of trust without borders!

    1. Wow, I love how God works!! Praising Him for your obedience and how He led you to just the right example. Praying for you as you prepare for your presentation. God bless you, sister. AJ

  3. Hi Arabah Joy, Trust Without Borders popped up on my facebook page and I decided to check it out…a God thing for sure! It touched my heart and made me cry, because I am like your precious little one left on the steps but I want to be like your precious little one they laid in your arms. Our Father God is so good, faithful and patient, and I am so thankful for that. Thank you for your encouraging words. Praying many blessings upon you and your precious family. In His Grace, Joyce

    1. Thank you for sharing this, Joyce. You aren’t alone! We have a good Father who leaves the 99 to go after the one. Keep pressing into Him and exercising trust. {{Hugs}} AJ

  4. I didn’t realize the phrase “trust w/o borders” was so popular when I, too, chose it as my book’s title after hearing Oceans – ‘where my trust is w/o borders… After my book published while searching the internet your blog popped up & I have loved your writings. I, too, have a naturally birthed child as well as three adopted children–now all grown–and I, too, have gone thru similar heartaches w/the adopted son. We chose to allow our birth son to remain the oldest, & our adopted son is 3rd in pecking order, is handicapped w/no left arm below his elbow, & was abandoned on the orphanage steps in Tehran, Iran where we lived in the mid-70’s. I would love to visit w/you by FB, text or emails if you ever have time and get to know you better so you don’t think I am copying your topics or style. Eventually I will bring my adopted children into my blog which has just begun. I’m praying blessings on your writings & works, because you are truly anointed. God bless, Pamela Alexander

    1. Hi Pamela, thanks for dropping by and for your kind words! I’d definitely love to connect and hear more of your story. It sounds like we have much in common! I’ll look for a friend request from you on FB where we can continue the conversation…

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