to trust or not to trust

That is the question.. I think I have trust issues. Although I am a talkative person, my experience with people (though limited to just over 23 years) has taught me that the only people you can trust are your family and God. I get really troubled when I think about how good it could be if I would just trust someone enough to risk being burned by them, and to share things that concern me the most. I read in books all the time that it is important to have people who you can be accountable to, but I find that my own lack of trust in the people around me (though most of them haven't done anything to cause me to question my trust in them) has prevented me from having such a relationship, even with those who I am closest to.

I will say straight up that I have been burned in the past by people who were supposedly 'trustworthy' and whether they know it or not, they have caused me to be cautious (even over-cautious) about what and to whom I share personal things with - even to the point where I only share on a superficial level, if not, not share at all.

This I guess has been one thing that has driven me to want to be a more trustworthy person myself. When people tell me something, I do everything I can to keep it stored in 'the vault' and to take it to my grave. There is a quote that I once read that said something like, when you die you should be taking thousands of secrets to the grave with you. And that has always been something in my mind that has challenged me to be someone that others can confide in freely and someone who people like me (with significant trust issues) can come to trust one day. It is difficult and I will admit that I have slipped up or nearly slipped up a few times along the way, but I believe that I have a fair amount of information in 'the vault' which will be buried with me in the future. I dunno, I reckon to be a person who is 'trustworthy' is a huge responsibility and I don't think it is something that I want to seek after in a hurry - I would really like to learn how people like Jim Berg who deals with people's issues as his job does it. How does he sleep at night with everyone's problems in his mind (I guess via prayer - but what a prayer life that would be), and how does he keep everything in his vault (must be a pretty big vault for that guy).

Lord, help me to trust my brothers and sisters more in my life. Help me to be someone who is trustworthy, with a genuine care and concern for others. Teach me how to become this person. Please forgive me if I have ever caused someone to lose the trust they once had. Show me what I need to do and how I need to change. I pray that I will be someone even I could trust someday, as You mould and shape me every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.