Jeu is an immigrant, and he works every day as a handyman. An organization helped him sign up with a company that allows people to request his or other handymen’s services. He survives well enough because his skills are good, and his ratings on the company’s website are high.
Jeu speaks very little English so living in the United States is an opportunity and a challenge. He has an app on his phone that enables him to translate from his language into English and vice versa, and he has mastered using it to help himself and his customers.
Jeu is the perfect picture of what trust looks like. Why? Because he must trust to make it through. He trusts that there will be another job after every job, and that no one will take advantage of him as he navigates his new city. He trusts that he will earn enough to feed his family and save to get a good place to live, and that he will stay healthy enough to keep working. He trusts that the loneliness of not being in his land will not overcome him. He trusts for so many things that Americans take for granted. He trusts God, that God truly is who He says He is: A provider, protector, defender, father, best friend, waymaker, has plans for Jeu, owns everything, is joy and peace, and He really is the Almighty God. Jeu trusts that the Bible is true, so God will never leave or forsake Jeu.
Jeu is not that different from every believer. No matter how great or low our life might be right now, we still must depend on Almighty God for our next breath. Riches can disappear in a second (ask the California fire victims, whom we pray for). And the opposite is true: we can be thrust into a situation that is far greater than our wildest desires, so it makes us happy yet we feel incapable of meeting the required expectations. And we have to lean into trust for our families, churches, communities, and even our country and the world.
Trust is not a given; it is a power we must activate. Trust is also a command from God. Similar to Jeu, every step of our lives has this question nailed to it: Will you trust me here? (signed by God). And like Jeu, we too must get up every morning in a land where we do not know what the day will hold—yet we must put on a smile and say, “Jesus, I trust you with my life. Let’s go!” There is nothing that our God can’t do exceedingly well and no situation where He will not be with us.”
Jeu is an immigrant. And so are we as we navigate this earthly life on our way to eternity with Christ. Like Jeu, let’s rejoice and make our motto: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path” (Proverbs 3:5-6). That’s good news, folks, real good news for Jeu and for us! Let’s go!
God bless you!
Pastor Janice Fareed-Hardy
