Episode 30: A Trust That Never Fails

Feb 28

Written By Rachael Wade

An interview with Jackie Smith-Bell

Hear Jackie's 'in process' story of fully trusting in the Lord despite season or circumstance. ⁣

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The Seeds

Name: Jackie Smith-Bell

Age: 53

Where do you call home: Savannah, Georgia

Relationship Status: Married

Season of Work: Retired Army Veteran

Hobbies: Running, Cooking, Traveling, Spending time with my family and friends

Jesus Journey: My mother and a host of relatives and friends are the reasons why I trust God so much. Their example showed me the pain in waiting never out weighs the goodness of God’s plans. I was saved as a teenager, but really begin to know God's saving grace at the age of 21.

The Branches

Jackie, you were with us on Volume 3 “Recount to Remember” and you gave us a mini sermon on trust! It was evident that you know God, developed a relationship with him, and very much familiar with His character. What have you experienced in your relationship with God to where you can trust him?

Marriage and motherhood has been instrumental road maps for me to find my way to God's Truth about Seasons of uncertainty. The Bible is my anchor that holds my trust when situations linger longer than I'd like. God sees more than we can see. He knows more than we know. He works in ways beyond our comprehension(Isaiah 55:8-11). And if we agree to trust Him in our waiting, we can experience the greatest resource of His peace.

When you look up the definition of trust it says “a firm belief in the character, strength, or reliability in a person…to have confidence.” Would you add anything to that definition?

David praised God in the wilderness — even though he didn’t understand why he was running for his life instead of sitting on the throne. Often, I have no clue of what to do, but I spend time worshiping God for the already hard things he's already made easier in my life-- that helps me realize there is nothing too hard for Him to do.

Have there been times where you have wavered from trusting God despite knowing His character? If so, can you share an example?

Yes, just this morning. I sat in the parking lot with a head full of questions and a disturbed heart of disappointment that my husband and I had. I realized I had two choices: 1. I could get frustrated and say things that would make me feel good in the moment OR 2. I could allow God's grace to manage the moment of frustration. I chose the first option, now I have to ask for forgiveness from him and God.

What do you do when you realize that you’re not trusting God in a certain area of your life?

My first thought is to find what or who I'm putting my trust in. Apart from Him, I can do nothing permanent. Everything independent of Him is a temporary fix.

Have there been people in your life that have shown you what trusting God looked like? If yes, who were those people and how has trust in God impacted your faith?

My pastor and his wife have pointed me to God in a spectacular way over 26 years.

Jackie, life is full of ups and downs…highs and lows…how do you continue putting your trust in God?

1. Cultivate a regular relationship unforced by reasons of need. If you want to grow in faith it starts by hearing it. Read the word of God for a clearer understanding and seek other individuals who can point you in the right direction.

2. Grow through believing what the Bible says is the seed source of your Truth . Believe every word of God's breathed words because it's your next best blessing and correction.

At Olive Us we are about the ‘in process’ story! We look back at what God has done recounting to remember His goodness & faithfulness, but we are also doing our best to be very present and in tune with what God is doing RIGHT NOW in our lives. Jackie, in your pre-interview you mentioned drudging through some uncertainty in your present season. How do you trust God when you can’t trace Him?

Cry. Throw a fit and then I remember faith is unseen. If I'm doubting God's existence because I can't see His activity in my life,I pray for Him to open my eyes to see His divine intervention. Pray for Him to saturate my life so powerfully that I cannot doubt that He is at work. Pray for Him to make His presence known.

We’ve all been hurt before. Someone we trusted broke that trust and we’re left with all the emotions & mess to follow. What’s your word of encouragement for the woman watching, listening, or reading your blog post that has a hard time trusting people which in turn has made it hard to trust God?

Trust God. I know that sounds like a cliché and sometimes it's easier said than done for me too, but the truth is He is the only help that's reliable.

Olive Us was created for women to share their in-process experiences and their "Only God" moments so that we can remember we are connected through Christ and we're not alone. Why is this important?

It's tangible evidence that “unrealized”hope can be “realized” hope by the truth of another sister's testimony. We overcome by their words of testimony and our own.