Trust lies in the anchor of hope. We hope that a dependable other, who knows our deepest fears and desires and is attuned to our needs, will find capacity in themselves to meet us where words fail. To love and to be truly loved is one of life’s greatest joys. The fragility of trust is dreadful, particularly when our life experiences are made up of a string of broken trust and broken relationships.

The lowering of expectations and the terror of disappointment, causes us to approach all relationships with trepidation in anticipation that we will be let down. We then learn to hold loosely to people and let them in hesitantly so. When we find ourselves being uncertain of the motives of the other, weary that they will accept us as we are and still find us desirable and goodly despite our flaws, love becomes a dread.

Yet perfect love casts out fear, for fear is an expectation of punishment. We anticipate that love is punitive so we barricade our hearts to keep out anything that may potentially bring us harm.

Here lies the dilemma: to fully live is to fully love.

After having been what you’ve been through, what will it take for you to trust again?

***

Tell us: Do you have trust issues since someone may have broken that trust?