The One I Call Home

• Psalm 18:2 (New Living Translation) ² The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Remembering the day when future concerns began weighing heavily on my mind. It was as if a boulder hit me on the head and sent me crashing to the ground. Admittedly, I was flattened. During my quiet time with God I was focusing on Psalm 18:2. He is my rock, my fortress, my savior, my protection, my shield, the power that saves me and my place of safety. It was if these proclamations were just words on a page with no significance whatsoever. Emotions came upon me so strong that my strength was virtually shattered. All at once I found myself face down and lying powerless on the ground before my Father in Heaven there in that mission house in Nashville, Tennessee.

Just laying there on the floor for what seemed like hours, crying uncontrollably, seemingly immobile, saying nothing. After what seemed liked no end, came the questions, “Lord, where are we going from here? Lord, is this the end of full-time ministry for us? Lord, we really don’t know how to do anything else. Lord, we actually don’t want to do anything else but be in full-time ministry.”

My husband and I had always joked that we could be greeters at Wal-Mart. Not that there is anything wrong with that occupation but my husband’s entire education was in the religion field and we weren’t even positive that Wal-Mart would hire him. Of course, then the commonsensical side of me began having reality thoughts. We were now in our 40’s and retirement, health insurance, home equity, and all of those factors would be significant in the days to come. Before long I felt as if I could not lift my head or even my body off that floor. There I remained flat on the floor before God, my Rock, my Fortress, my Savior, pleading for a few answers.

Strange thing is, God did not give me all the answers that day as I lay face down in that carpeted floor. What He did for me was so much more. He let the Word of God raise me up again. These Scriptures were no longer just words on a page, but proclamations written just for me. He tenderly reminded me of the protection that I had known throughout my lifetime. He is the Power that had saved me from a life that should have been so far removed from what it is today. If not for grace, I wouldn’t even have a Savior to call out to in my cavernous distress. He brought to mind the safety of the mission home I was presently occupying. Also, reminding me how I had survived the storm of Hurricane Katrina and how I would continue to make it throughout the storms of this life because of His protection. He most assuredly is my Rock, not a boulder who crushes and flattens me on the floor when I question Him. He is my fortress, the One who surrounds me and comforts me when I feel as I cannot move a muscle. He is my Savior, my Jesus, the One who gave his life for me and forgave me of my sinful state. He is my Protection and Shield, the One who continues to protect me from natural and man-made disasters, even those I bring upon myself at times. He is my Power, the One who picked me up from the floor that day and gently guides me to places of safety. He is the One I call my Home.

I Should Really Like to Know

Said the robin to the sparrow

I should really like to know

Why those anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.

Said the sparrow to the robin

Well, I think that it must be

That they have no heavenly Father

Such as cares for you and me.

Elizabeth Cheney, quoted Walter Knight, Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations.

Posted by Teresa