Grains of Sand

The Lord is my glass window of protection… “ The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? ” —Psalm 27:1, NIV. Who hasn’t been afraid of something? And though we might wish that fear were just an occasional phenomenon, we most often exchange one fear for another, or simply accumulate them until they cripple us. For the psalmist, the fear was a “whom” not a “what” and David certainly had lots of people in his life who were a threat to him. The verses immediately following describe evil men and armies coming up against him to destroy him. Then David makes an unusual request of God. He asks the Lord for the privilege of sheltering in His house. Traditionally, the church was often regarded as a place where people could seek sanctuary and be protected against anyone looking to harm them. But long before church buildings came into being and were used for those purposes, David knew the meaning of sanctuary...

They aren't accustomed to going outside. However, it was such a beautiful day, all was quiet in the neighbourhood and they'd had a few brief forays to get a feel for the territory. It was time to face a brave, new world. Abby and Lou Lou Belle went outside into the backyard this afternoon. Abby's not quite as bold as Lou, but she did the rounds of the yard, racing for the patio door when startled by an unusual sound. I thought that she might get confused and too frightened to know the way to safety, but she was unerringly accurate. Good spiritual lesson there. It's too bad I'm not always as smart as the cat! This sweet hymn by Gloria Roe (1938-      ) expresses the lesson well: Be calm my soul, faint not with care Though burdens deep our hearts would tear; He is the Lord, all He commands, He holdeth me safe in His hands. Be calm my soul, melt not with fear, Though shadows dark press in so near, Yet in despair I see His light; Lead me, O Lord...