Don't you hate it when the Lord takes a lesson that He has been teaching you for a while and in a moment solidifies it through one situation.  It kinda makes you feel a little dumb and makes you think, "Oh well that was simple." 

            For the last year the Lord has been asking me one question, "Cass are you going to trust me?"  And you might think that is a simple question but you know what...I have struggled with this.  In the last year I was away from home when the fires hit, not knowing what was going on or how my family was. "Cass are you going to trust me?"  In 24 hours I was robbed of everything that I had, broke down in the middle of no where Africa and became violently ill with tick bite fever…"Cass are you going to trust me?"  Had a team of 15 students going to Kenya with 2 other leaders and myself, got a phone call and all of a sudden I was going to Swaziland with a team of 13 students and now I was on my own as a leader. "Cass are you going to trust me?"  2 weeks into our time here I was taking a group of 6 orphans to a game park and we were T-Boned by a semi truck full of dirt.  As I am pulling bloody, screaming orphans out of the car…"Cass are you going to trust me?"  2 weeks later I got into another accident, this time I t-boned a truck that pulled out in front of me…"Cass are you going to trust me?"  In the middle of all of these things I have received really hard emails from friends, I have seen more children die in the last year than ever before and still the question remains…"Cass are you going to trust me?" 

            Last week I went back to the orphans that had been in the accident to take them as a surprise to the game park to see the animals.  They were so excited and we were walking to the car and the mood changed.  It went from excited to fear.  A few of the kids jumped right in, a couple took a minute to get in and then there was Mcebo (mmm-Click-ebo).  She is four and she stood there and looked at the car for a long time.  You could see the tension in her body and the fear in her eyes.  And then she got in.  And off to see the animals we went.

            When a hard situation hits I find myself thinking about whether I want to get back in the car or not...do I want to chance another terrible thing happening or just not get in?  A lot of the time I have to sit and contemplate whether or not I am going to trust the Lord or take things into my own hands.  Is it even worth getting into the car?  I can be mad and give up and out of fear of being hurt again not trust that the Lord is in control and will give me everything that is required to make it through. 

            Mcebo had to get in the car, into the vehicle that the last time she was in was wrecked and cause hurt.  But when she decided to get in, she went to the game park and had the best day of her life.  She got to see and experience things that she would not have seen or experienced if she didn't get in the car.  She was blessed.

            Like Mcebo, I just have to get in.  I want to experience all of the what the Lord has for me and in order to do so, I am going to go through hard times.  It is going to hurt, it is going to be hard but it is going to be worth it.  If I am trusting the Lord He is going to make my paths straight (Prov. 3:5-6). 

            Lord: "Cass are you going to trust me?  Would you go through it all again?  Am I worth it?"

            Cassie: "YES!"