DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
I’ll TRUST YOU

Naima dances @ Allen Cathedral’s Worship Conference in New York
©Donnie McClurken, I’ll Trust You, Lord, Zomba Recording LLC, Live in London, Buy MP3

Trust is a choice.
What happens when God asks, “Will you trust Me?”

TRUE STORY

Four years ago, my beautiful friend Rev. Eyesha Marable, founder of the National Liturgical Dance Network, invited me back to serve and share at Greater Allen Cathedral’s bi-annual Worship Conference in New York. Allen has a rich AME history dating back to 1834 and has grown to 18,000 members under the leadership of Pastors Floyd & Elaine Flake. We’re looking forward to this year’s conference, July 25-29th. It’s a huge, international family reunion with hundreds of arts ministries. If you’re an artist of faith, particularly in dance, register. It’s amazing.

So, in 2008, I was asked to minister in dance for the Sunday morning 8:30 service following the week-long conference. Allen actually has 3 services each Sunday: 6:30, 8:30 and 11:15. Leading up to that week, I had been fervently praying about what to share. Each house of worship is different, and I pray to be sensitive to what’s needed.

I had a strong impression about Pastor Donnie McClurken’s song, “I’ll Trust You, Lord”, which had been out for some time, but had recently been re-released on his ‘Essential’ album. Honestly, I didn’t really want to minister the song.

I kept thinking, “What am I going to do, Lord? Ask the whole congregation if they will trust you? Really?”

But that’s exactly what was intended. I kept seeing, in my mind’s eye, a scenario in which I invited the whole congregation to trust the Lord, and then, declare our trust to Him through a simple movement – everybody, corporately. Only problem was, I didn’t actually believe that the WHOLE congregation would roll with me. Are you kidding?

It sounded crazier the closer I got to Sunday. I tried to change songs, but I didn’t have all of my repertoire with me. I had no peace about changing, but wasn’t sure what would happen if I went forward with this notion “from God”. What if I was wrong and people refused to move?

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
A visiting minister asks us to do something during worship that we’re not comfortable with!
A-W-K-W-A-R-D!
I didn’t want to be that girl.

Then, it happened.
In a rehearsal room. By myself.
As I finally began reluctantly choreographing the song, I heard in my spirit, “Will you trust me?”
I stopped moving.
The song went on, “What if I tell you to let go of the very thing you think you have to hold? Will you trust me?”
I crumbled to the floor.

“What’s coming, Lord?” I asked.
“Will you trust me?” I heard.
“What will I have to let go?”
“Will you trust me?”

Now, tears are racing each other for my chin.

In the choreography, I’m supposed to throw up both hands in surrender and say, “Yes, I’ll trust you, Lord”; but I couldn’t do it. I lay in a heap on the floor remembering the last few years of trusting God through my husband’s cancer battle, healing our broken marriage, trying to get through seminary, starting our production company. Just when the sun was beginning to shine, and we were feeling “normal” again, what life tsunami was on the way?

I had a decision to make.
Tsunami with God?
Tsunami without?
Tsunami was a’coming. Would I trust Him?

I mean, God had a stellar track record.
He had healed my husband and obliterated the cancer through the chemotherapy.
After a year of intense marriage counseling, our relationship was solid and healthy.
Made it through seminary and Lett’s Rise! Productions was on its feet and moving forward.
Life, at times, had been unbearable, but God had proven Himself trustworthy.

The truth is I simply have a strong aversion to hard times. I don’t really like them. I don’t do cartwheels for trials and tribulations. I prefer easy-breezy.

I live in LaLa Land for a reason. It’s 80 degrees with a breeze most days. No rain. No 106 degrees in the summer. No snow. No ice. No tornado. No hurricanes. Just mild, gorgeous, easy-going weather. Now the earth shakes every now and then, but if you can get used to that, it’s great.

So, another earthquake was on the way.

I ministered the song at Allen in August 2008. And amazingly the entire congregation flowed together! See video above. It was truly something to experience. Thank God.

But by November 2008, the tsunami/quake hit: unemployment, severe car accidents, physical therapy, temporary homelessness, church upheavals, complete life redirection – all at no fault of our own. If we had mismanaged our finances and ended up on the street, I could understand. But we hadn’t. If we drove recklessly and had accidents, it would make sense. That’s not what happened. For 2 years, stuff kept shaking.

And guess what?
I had to “Let Go!” of everything.
Nothing was solid… except that Kevin and I were alive and still together, walking with the Lord. That’s it.

Each time something else or someone else fell away, I’d hear the question, “Will you trust me?”
Some days, I threw up both hands and said, “Yes, I’ll trust you, Lord.”
Other days, all I could do was whisper, “I don’t right now, but help me trust you. I’m sure all this will make sense down the line…”

Why do I share this story with you today?
Because there may be things that have occurred in your life that make absolutely no sense whatsoever, but sometimes, it’s not about the thing. It’s about our faith and trust in our God.

Is He still God when things fall apart?
Is He still God when we’re sick? Or is He just God when we’re healthy?
Is He still God when we don’t have a home? Or is He just God when our home is tight?
Is He still God when our children act a fool? Or is He just God when they’re straight?

Which earthquake/tsunami will occur that breaks our faith where we declare, “He’s not God”?
Even if we declare it, that doesn’t make it true.
He’s still God – whether things in our lives are grand or not.
On this broken side of heaven, stuff happens. Things break. People break.

Question is, “Will you trust Him?”

I pray that you will be encouraged today by Pastor Donnie’s song.
And I pray that we’ll be able, at some point, to throw up both hands and say, “I’ll trust you, Lord.”

PSALM 25
Of David
1 In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.
2 I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long

Let’s hope in God all day long,
Naima

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