• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • If You Like…
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Merch Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

3 Unexpected Ways Learning to Trust Will Change Your Life

by Chautona Havig · 2 Comments

“Help.”

I don’t even remember who I was talking to, but I suspect it was my editor, Christy.  However, I do remember the answer.  “Okay. What’s up?”

Everyone needs friends like this!!!

“I’ve done contentment and acceptance, in the Journey of Dreams Series, but I realized I don’t have a deliberate theme that evokes an obvious change in people’s lives.”

Of course, she wanted a whole rundown of everything I knew I was putting into the book.

Of course.

By the time I finished, we’d already thrown out a couple of options. Still, we’d both latched onto the idea of trust.  It just fit Madison and her needs best.

That led me to the obvious question.  “Okay, so how do we see a lack of trust physically manifest in someone’s life?  In Prairie, they age. In Highlands, they go blind.  I’m not doing deaf. Just sayin’.”

Thankfully, she didn’t try to talk me out of it.  This is Christy (I think), and if she wants to talk me into or out of something, it’s like she’s E.F. Hutton (and there I just showed my age. For you whippersnappers, see the video below to understand.

After throwing out everything from becoming crippled (you know, by fear instead of trust) to gallstones (because, bitterness… and so forth), we hit it.

I just needed to learn more about trust.  What it is, how I can use it, what the Bible says about it.

Let’s face it.  When people think of Bible verses on trust, they think of Proverbs 3:5-6.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

I wanted more.  So, I dug deeper, and this is what I found.

3 Unexpected Ways Learning to Trust Will Change Your Life

Note: links are affiliate links that may provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

3 Unexpected Ways Learning to Trust Will Change Your Life

Psalm 56:3-4

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?”

As I studied this verse, I saw one thing I hadn’t noticed before.  It’s a cycle.  First, I’m afraid. So, I put my trust in the only One who can truly protect me. I trust the Word of the Lord and praise Him. At that point, I’ve put my trust there, so I won’t be afraid now.

It just comes full circle.  Fear leads to trust, which leads to the Word, which leads to more trust, which prevents the next fear.  It’s a picture of using the Word to drive out the lies that we tell ourselves.  All those things we fear?  It’s nothing compared to what the wrath of God will do to those who reject Him.

So, in the grand scheme of things, “What can man do?  My God is bigger than that.”  I did not expect to see a progression laid out for me like that.  Now when those little fears creep in (you know, like today and my doctor’s appointment.  Wanna know what I’m afraid of?  You can laugh already. Trust me, I am.  Whatever he’s going to say is going to delay the writing I have planned.

*sits back until everyone gets done with their inner-jogging workouts.*

Anyway, when those things happen, I discovered that I can look at where I am and how I’m responding and see my growth. How cool is that?

That brought a new verse that seemed to build on it.

Psalm 37: 4-5

Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Verse four jumped out at me when I looked up verse five.  After all, it’s the “theme verse” of the entire Journey of Dreams series!

So, with that in mind, I really looked at “Commit your way to the Lord.”    I dug deep.  I was astounded by what I found. The Hebrew word we translate to “commit” means to “roll or roll away.”  I did not start singing when the “Roll Is Called up Yonder!” Wrong roll, people! Okay, that’s a lie I totally did.

But it says to “roll away…” and then the word for way is “a road, a course of life, mode of action.”  So, roll away your course of life or the kind of action you take…

And then we get to trust (after obviously acknowledging that we do this to GOD).  Trust means, “to trust, be confident or sure.”  So, now this reads:

Roll away your course of life or the kind of action you take to the Lord and be confident and sure that…”

“He will do it.”  Seriously.  The word means, “Do or make it.”  Now… to really drill this down into Chautona’s uneducated translationishness we get…

As you go down the course of life or take certain kinds of actions, roll them to the Lord (or roll all the fears and lacks of trust away from you) and be confident and sure that He will do for you what He needs to do.”

And seriously, do we want any more or less than just that?

I had no clue that this verse had such cool pictures that went with it. Not only that, it fits beautifully with the preceding verse, because with all this that he says he’ll do here? Yeah. This is what happens when we “delight” ourselves in Him.  This becomes the desire of our hearts. We desire Him to direct those paths that Solomon talks about in Proverbs 3:6.

I can’t seem to get this verse out of my head.  Every time I think about trust now, I think, “I just need to roll that over to the Lord. I can be confident He’ll take care of it for me or He’ll show me what He wants me to do to take care of it.”

In other words, my mom was right again.  Shocker.  When she says, “Chautona, God’s got this.”  It’s not flippant. It’s just succinct and a kick in the butler to stop trying to do God’s job for Him. He’s better at it than I could ever be, right?

Psalm 9:10

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

This one threw me for a loop.  Do you see what it says?  “Those who know Your name.”  Period.  Those people will… do what?  “Trust You.”  Period.  Exclamation point. It’s kind of like, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) It’s pretty simple.  And yet, it’s not.

The same is true of this one. And like the first one we looked at, Psalm 56:3-4, there’s a cycle. We know God’s name and it produces faith in us (Faith comes by hearing—Romans 10:17).  We put our trust in Him (through repentance—Acts 2:38). And He will never leave or forsake us (reiterated for us from the Old Testament in Hebrews 13:5).

If the Lord never leaves us or forsakes us, if we know His name, we’ll put our trust in Him. And He will not… do you see it?

Over and over, God shows us His amazing love that, even among our ficklenesses and weaknesses, He never leaves.  We do. We walk away.  The things in this life weigh us down and we become like Peter… catching sight of the waves and taking our eyes off Jesus.

But He’s always there.  In the waves with us.  Holding out His hand, being that beautiful picture of endless forgiveness—forgiving us “seventy times seven.”  Times seven quadrillion.  And then some.

Yeah.  Just seeing it like that.  Changed my life.  You know why?

Because I now trust in something else.  I trust that forgiveness, that constancy, that, “I love you no matter what, you silly little girl” thing that I see in these words. I had head knowledge before.  Now my heart gets it, too.

I can’t wait to put this in Seaside.

And guess what?  Seaside is one of this year’s releases. Squeee!

Share271
Pin
Tweet
Email
276Shares
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
276Shares

Related

Filed Under: Personal, Writing

Previous Post: « Is On the Rails a Great New Role for Judy Garland?
Next Post: How to Bless Your Husband for Valentine’s Day »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Florence Wright says

    February 8, 2019 at 8:38 am

    Trust is one of my biggest battles. I know, it’s silly, you’d think it’s the easy route to pass off issues to Someone Else, but I have a tendency to make simple things WAAAAAY more complicated than they have to be. I am looking forward to Seaside, I have loved this series (except the churning feeling in my mind that these people won’t ever see their family members again … maybe on the other side, but not in this life. Makes me kind of sad, cuz I’m a big family person). If you haven’t thought of a physical affliction … I can tell you from experience, my lack of trust directly targets my gut, nausea, unable to eat, vomiting, etc.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      February 8, 2019 at 9:32 pm

      I made it a thing to remove Jessa… who had no family. And Tony… well, he can’t know it, but I always pictured him being taken before something terrible happened to his parents AND… after he’d lost his grandmother (that part he knew) so he wouldn’t be alone.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Because Fiction: A Chat with Split-Time Author, Melanie Dobson
byChautona Havig

I chatted with Melanie Dobson a few weeks ago, and boy was it a wonderful time of talking about my favorite books of hers and her latest release, The Wings of Poppy Pendleton. Listen in to the heartwrenching story that sparked the idea for the book and the delicious (and fascinating) research she did to write it!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

How a Family Mystery Sparked the Idea for a Beautiful Story

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton takes place during the dichotomous Gilded Age among New York’s famous Thousand Islands.  Combining a family mystery with that era, Melanie Dobson creates a wonderful story that echoes the tumultuous time at the turn of the 20th century.

We chatted about the research involved–both for Melanie’s family mystery of a missing child who was in a photo but no one knew who she was and for the era and area as well.  I loved hearing how her mother got involved in trying to discover what happened to… was it Marjorie?  I think.  And, of course, how that helped shape the story of this book.

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson

In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.

You can learn more about Melanie Dobson on her WEBSITE.  Also follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple 
  • Castbox 
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn 
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Because Fiction: A Chat with Split-Time Author, Melanie Dobson
Because Fiction: A Chat with Split-Time Author, Melanie Dobson
November 25, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 281: A Chat with Angela Hunt
November 23, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 280: A Chat with Debut Author, Johanna Rojas Vann
November 21, 2023
Chautona Havig
Because Fiction 279: A Chat with Amish Author, Leslie Gould
November 17, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 278: A Chat with WWII Author, Amanda Barratt
November 14, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 277: A Chat with M. D. House about Sophia
November 11, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 276: A Chat with Jaime Jo Wright about Her New Release
November 7, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 275: A Chat about Knowing You by Tracie Peterson
November 3, 2023
Chautona Havig
Because Fiction 274: A Chat with Sara Beth Williams about No Matter How Far
October 31, 2023
Chautona Havig
Episode 273: A Chat with Debut Author Holly Varni
October 28, 2023
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Check out the Sparrow Island novels. A tiny island with a lot of heart

independence islands series

Featured Books

A Ransomed Grete

A Ransomed Grete
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
A Ransomed Grete
Buy now!

Twice Sold Tales

Twice Sold Tales
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Twice Sold Tales
Buy now!

Under the Hibiscus

Under the Hibiscus
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Under the Hibiscus
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

  • Why This Author Sold Me on a Whole Series in One Fun Interview (October 28, 2023)
  • Why an Almost Love At First Sight Mystery Actually Works! (November 28, 2023)

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • How a Family Mystery Sparked the Idea for a Beautiful Story
  • How Angela Hunt Keeps Delivering Great Books to Her Fans
  • How One Fascinating Book Could Change Your Perception of Colombia

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
I should be editing the podcast or writing, but i I should be editing the podcast or writing,  but it's been a long day,  and I haven't read all week. So, quick reading break with some Hungarian coffee cake and a cup of tea. Oh, and On Moonberry Lake by @hollyvarni 
#AmReading 
#LyonsGold
Or just love a suspenseful novel? Reposted from @ Or just love a suspenseful novel?

Reposted from @lisaphillipsbks Now that the weather has turned chilly, are you pining for the summer sun? ☀️🌴 Well, you're in luck because it's not too late to get your copy of Come What May, volume 3 of our Summer Heat series, and escape to summer in collection of FOUR novels! Head over to my link in bio to find your copy before it's gone.

 #weekendreading #weekendreads #summerheat #SummerReading2023 #summerreading #summerheatseries #avidreadersofchristianfiction #deals #bookseries #weekendread #bookshelf #2023reads #tbr #readmorebooks #bookstack #faithwriter #ChristianFiction #authorlisaphillips #ebooks #readerlove #christianromanticsuspense #romanticsuspenseseries #comewhatmay
Oh... how I need to learn this lesson! Sigh. Comin Oh... how I need to learn this lesson! Sigh.
Coming December 6! Preorder coming VERY soon! EEEP!
#Bookstrings
#ClockTowerBound
#BerneIndiana
#BookishBooks
#ChristFic
#AmWriting
How did I manage to wait this long to start this? How did I manage to wait this long to start this? I'm ready to move to Moonberry Lake.
@hollyvarni 
#AmReading 
#ChristFic
Tonight's reads. What's on your TBR tonight? #AmR Tonight's reads.  What's on your TBR tonight?
#AmReading 
@nadinebrandes 
#ChristFic 
#Eschatology
Day 4: Vacation Read I LOVE collections for vacati Day 4: Vacation Read
I LOVE collections for vacation reads. They're usually a bit shorter (these aren't novellas but they are shorter novels) and there are usually several options to choose from. 
I love the Summer Heat Series, and not just because I've got a book in there!
#BookishChallenge
Day 3: Colorful Colors Well, I made myself choose Day 3: Colorful Colors
Well, I made myself choose books that are in the shed-i-ffice instead of going and looking at what I had throughout the house. These were some that were bright and vivid. I've only read parts of two of them (plan to finish The Major and the Missionary tomorrow and Fawkes I'll start reading on the 5th for obvious reasons). #BookishChallenge
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!