**He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
“Uh, hi. I have to talk to Benny, please!!” (Rushed)
“He’s not in yet, can I have him call you?”
“My house in on fire…” (Crying)
“What is your address, we’ll get someone there immediately.”
“I live in Sudan.”
“I’m sorry. You’ll have to call your local 911 and they will dispatch your area. You have the wrong department.”
“I know. They are already fighting the fire. I need Benny.”
“Ma’am, he can’t help you, either.”
“BENNY’S HOUSE IS ON FIRE!!! This is his wife.” (Almost hysterical)
“Oh! I understand now. I’m so sorry. I’ll tell him to call you the minute he walks in.”
**********************
“Thank goodness that isn’t our place! It caught fire last week…” Those were my thoughts as I left Mediplex in Littlefield.
A week earlier Benny called and said a piece of trash blew out of the barrel and the front of our place caught fire, and Sudan Fire Department was faithful to put it out
I was as big as a barn and only 8 days from having Xavier. We had just moved to Sudan a month earlier, so we could start a family where Benny grew up and had so many good memories. As I drove down Highway 84, my fear grew. I have a hard time judging where the fire truly was, but it still looked like it was out our direction. The closer I got, the bigger the smoke appeared. When I rounded the corner between First Baptist Church and the school, I could see the flames, and they were huge. I realized it was our place on fire, and no one was home, Benny had left for work less than an hour earlier.
I stomped on the gas and got there as quickly as my little red Ford Escort would allow. Theron Hill was at the end of the road blocking traffic. When he realized it was me, he moved the truck and let me through. I skidded to a halt in front of the house and ran in to let our dogs out of their kennels before the firemen realized what was happening. The wind was already blowing that day, straight out of the west, with gusts in the 60s. The fire was behind our house, rushing our way in a frenzy. Firefighters were doing all they could to keep it the fire from claiming our home. When they realized I had gone in the house, Mike came in to get me. So, as I held our tiny dog, Touchdown, and got Mac’s collar, Mike had me put my head in his jacket and he led me to my car. He said to leave immediately. I couldn’t stay. This was a very dangerous situation.
I went down the road to an abandoned house near the highway. I parked in their driveway to call Benny. We only had one cell phone, and I would have to wait for him to call me back. I started praying. Benny called and ended our conversation with, “Just call me when it is over and let me know what is left.” He sat at the station and I sat in the driveway of the old house, and we prayed. We prayed for the firemen and for God to have mercy on the place we had so many dreams for.
The Sudan firefighters who responded that day remember it. They had to grate a path across the field east of us to try to stop it from making its way to town. I found out later that at one time, the winds got up, and there was no escaping the flames. The only viable option was spray the trucks down and get inside. They had to sit inside the trucks until the fire blew over and the wind gust died down before resuming trying to fight it.
SHELTERING IN PLACE is not meant to cause us to panic. It is a new term to our general public but is not actually a new phrase to many first responders. I asked Benny about it and he said it is a term used at the fire department that simply means “find a shelter and stay where you are until the threat passes.” The Sudan firetrucks were the best source of protection for those responding that day when the fire blew over them, and “sheltering in place” saved lives that day. They would have been burned if they tried to stand and fight.
I have to admit, those three words struck fear in my heart when I heard them. I have never experienced anything like this, and it is not comfortable. Nothing about this Coronavirus has been comfortable. It has been scary, and fear has been at the forefront of the news, our lives, and our hearts. Panic is a knee jerk reaction.
BUT GOD…
**He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91:1-4 ESV
GOD is our shelter and refuge. Just as little ones run to us when they get hurt to hold them and wrap them up in our arms, God always has His arms open, ready to shelter us, too. I had to look the word “pinion” up. It is part of the wing of on a bird. We have all heard stories of forest fires where baby birds are found alive and well under the wings of a mama bird who covered them and sacrificed her own life. Christ did the same for us. He gave up His life so that we could live. We must look to Him for shelter, comfort, strength, and sanity during this current crisis.
I want to see my physical situation in the same light. My home is the safest place for me to be right now. The more citizens that stay home and out of the public, the harder it will be for the virus to spread. So, instead of seeing my home as a prison, I want to view it as a safe haven, a place of refuge and retreat. I want to use this opportunity to spend quality time with my family that has been in short supply lately. And when this blows over, I will be thankful for more little things that I tend to overlook.
LORD, thank You for being a safe place in this storm. Help me not to panic, but continually remind me that You are God, You are good, and I need to shelter in place physically and spiritually until the danger passes for my own protection. Instead of seeing this as a restriction, help me see it as a retreat, a time to
love on my family, minister to my friends, and to rest and reset. Remind me that You are my ultimate Shelter and protection when my mind is fearful and everything in me wants to panic. Help me also remember what You paid on my behalf. Allow me to continually lay my fears and worries at Your feet. Please give those affected by this virus an extra-large dose of Your healing, Your comfort, and Your peace. Thank You that I have a safe haven in my “house that love built.” Thank You that it will shelter and protect us in the midst of this storm. Thank You for those who continue to work long, hard hours to keep our nation running. Thank You that no firemen were injured back in the fire of April 1998 and that our home was saved, and Xavier was born healthy 8 days later. Thank You for the willingness of those men and women who are the front-line warriors in this crisis. Protect them and keep them safe, LORD. Quiet our minds and our hearts as try our best to be to be still and remember that You are in control and will fight for us. In Your precious name, Amen.
**Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10a
**The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
**The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10
**Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. Psalm 57:1
SHELTERED IN THE ARMS OF GOD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Q1mDT1QLM
**Miss Peggy and I sing this song for special on a regular basis at Circleback, but it has never had more meaning in my life than it does today.
ON THE PORCH 