The words to an old hymn have been rattling around in my head and heart the last week. The chorus goes, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way." The words have been a great comfort in a couple of situations that are dominating my life right now.

One involves the care of my nearly 88-year-old mother who still lives alone, but is in failing health, and my attempting to do what needs to be done for her from 1,400 miles away. It is very sad to watch someone who has been so healthy and independent all of her life to begin depending on others for so much. On my trip to Ohio, I had to help her face the fact that she can no longer drive.

The other situation is a totally happy one, and one I live for-The Gathering (of church bookstores and others). But about this time it gets very intense. We are concerned that everyone who could benefit from being there is planning to come. We want to be sure that all the vendors who are coming have all that they need. We want to be sure we are doing all we can to help the host church. And in all of this, we want to be sure that all we do will bring glory to the Father.

In both situations, God seems to be saying, "Trust and obey."

First, I have to trust. I have to trust the One who is trustworthy. Two favorite verses that I keep stored away for those tough times are in Ps. 56. Verse 3 says, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." Even I can memorize that one, but the next verse goes on to remind me who holds the power: "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid." And in Proverbs I am reminded to, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart" (Prov. 3:5a).

It seems that the greatest threat to trust is fear-and fear seems to be an especially strong tool of the evil one. But in Ps. 23:4 David said, "I will fear no evil" and then in Ps. 27:1 he asked, "The Lord is my light and salvation-whom shall I fear?"

Again and again in His Word, I am reminded first not to fear anything but the God whom I am to trust. So this has been the blueprint the last few weeks-to refuse the fear that Satan would have me believe is real and to trust the One I know is real.

And the other side of that trust coin is to obey.

In both of my current situations, I have attempted to obey. Though I felt that coming to Ohio for two to three weeks was an impossible task, I knew it was what God was calling me to do. I am an only child, and at 60-something I still believe I have a mandate to "honor your father and your mother" (Ex. 20:12). So I obey God by honoring the one who gave me life on this earth. I hear God reminding me, as Samuel did Saul, that "to obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22).

As I have talked with many of you about attending The Gathering and being part of the Church Bookstore Network, I have heard again and again that this is a tough economic time for you. You are operating with less staff and less dollars. And yet, you and I both will obey. We will continue in the calling to which we have been called until God says, "stop."

In Acts 5:29, Peter and the other apostles said to the high priest, "We must obey God rather than men!" Right now, "man" probably would encourage us to fold up our tents and go home. But God called me to the task of bringing fellowship and education to church bookstores and unity between church bookstores and independents, and by His grace, I shall continue to do that until He says, "stop."

God has begun healing my mother, and things are beginning to fall into place for The Gathering. But there are still challenges in both situations. However, I will continue to remember the words of the hymn: "When we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word/What a glory He sheds on the way/While we do His good will, He abides with us still/And with all who trust and obey."

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