Anxiety, grief, and mistakes can cripple us and force us to try to lean on our own understanding. Buw we really want something better than understanding. We want to be able to relax. God's peace is better than understanding, and we gain His peace by trusting Him.

Relationships are risky. But taking risks is a great way to kick out autonomy, which is something we could stand to lose. Risk is important because it opens us up to God's power and love - we don't look for his presence when we're comfortable.

Our aim is to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and money and trials reveal our hearts. Our aim with money is to move from "ownership" to "stewardship." The purpose of trials is to mature us and teach us joy.

God will make our paths straight, but He won't make everything easy. God does not give us exact answers, but He will make us Christ-like choosers. When we trust Him with all our hearts, we join in on what He is already doing.