Trust

Dictionary.com gives the following definition...

trust (trst)n.

1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.

It'd be nice if it was that simple, wouldn't it? To just have firm reliance on a person. In theory it's very easy to trust someone. Then reality rears its ugly head and a person needs to take a step back. We all know that trust in a person must be earned. It takes time, a foundation of shared experience, consistency, to trust someone.

Shayla has never been one to trust easily. Too many times let down, hurt, damaged in one way or another to. She is extremely cautious in how much of herself she shows a person, how far she'll let them in. Observes their actions with not only her, but the people around them, tests them. Not in the traditional sense when a slave is spoken of as testing, but simply paying close attention to what a person does, what happens as a result of their decisions.

It was much that way with her Master at first. Observing him carefully for any red flags. Paying close attention to what he said and how well he followed through. As time went on and she trusted in him more, something began to change. He continued to train her and the need she felt to obey began to match with her trust in him. After a while each became just as intense as the other. And she began to have faith in him. Shayla'll not start a discussion about faith vs. trust. That's another topic altogether. But here she is, having faith in someone for the first time. There's much that Master has planned for her that shayla does not know about, things he's wanting that she is not fully comfortable with. Things that shayla is not familiar with, does not have much knowledge of, have the recourses for. But he does.

So she trusts in, has faith in, the fact that he has planned, has plans for, things. And that he will be continuing to care for her and keep her best interests in mind, even though the way he may do things aren't the way she would.

For shayla, this is the most astounding part of the relationship. That she's become able to trust and have faith in a person to the degree she does. Is she all the way there yet? Probably not, but she's farther along than she's ever been.

shayla