Today I’m on Ink From Earthen Vessels. I’d love it if you’d join me.  We’re talking about learning to trust. A few years ago, I trained for sprint triathlons and part of my training involved long runs. These runs served two purposes–they increased my endurance and confidence. At the beginning of my training, lacing up my shoes for an hour-long run, completion seemed improbable. But each day, I added to my mileage, running hills, adding in swimming and biking, until a two-hour session became routine.

The result? By race day, staring across the wind-stirred lake, the task ahead didn’t seem quite so daunting. I’d done it before, many times. Maybe not in a lake, but I knew what it felt like to push past exhaustion. At the end of my swim, as I jumped on my bike with rubbery legs slightly numbed from the frigid water, staring at the mammoth hill bearing down on me, I focused on my past training–the countless laps, hills, and miles I’d pushed through day after day. Contrary to what my brain tried to shout, I could do this…because I’d done it before.

I believe our faith grows in much the same way. Standing before that first trial, all we see is the bouldered road ahead, but after years of following our Savior and experiencing His strength made perfect in our weakness, the boulders appear to shrink and the incline seems to level.

Philippians 4:6 says: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (NLT)

When praying for aid, take the time to count your blessings, to remember all God has done and the many times He showed up. I believe your concerns will appear to shrink in light of God’s faithfulness.