Safe

I felt this word deeply due to a recent incident that a close friend experienced.  It made me think back to when in my life I haven’t felt safe.  I apologize for taking the negative on this word, but I think until we feel unsafe, we don’t realize how blessed we are when we ARE safe.  I pray to feel safe in the middle of the night when all is quiet, and I hear a creak or a bump in the house.  I pray when I don’t feel comfortable in certain situations.  I always, when my husband is driving us on a long journey, thank him & God for getting us safely home.  Unfortunately, when we don’t feel safe, our first reaction is to panic.  So many “what ifs” come up when our minds start racing out of control.  I recall a time when we took our young niece to an amusement park.  I felt I was overly careful to make sure I always had my eye on her.  During one part of the day, I must have looked away for what seemed like a second; and in that brief moment, I lost sight of her. Not being a mother myself, I better understood that parent panic button that seems to be automatic during such moments.  My job as her Aunt (and Uncle) was to keep her safe.  Thankfully, that panic lasted only for a moment, (but seemed so much longer) until I caught sight of her smiling face a short distance away.  How much do we depend, and more importantly trust, on our faith in times of panic?  Jesus always wants to keep us safe, even though we may lose sight of Him in a crowd.  We panic but very often forget to reach out to Him, grasp His hand and let Him bring back that feeling of safety, recalling that His loving arms are always wrapped around us.  I then remember, after everything has calmed and I’m back in my safe place, to thank God for His presence.  Although we all may get frustrated when those feelings are not present in the midst of the storm – any storm, I continue to pray for the strength to endure during such moments.  We know our journey will never be without trials and those times of genuine panic; but I know I will continue to try and do a better job of trusting Him.  I pray, “Jesus, help me today to feel your loving arms wrapped around me in love, knowing it is your desire to keep me safe from harm.  Always keep my eyes focused on you and confident that I can weather any storm with you by my side.”   Amen

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8