A Dwelling Place
As a child I frequently experienced home sickness. I can recall numerous sleepovers that ended prematurely as a result of my incessant tears. There was something about sleeping in a foreign place that caused me much distress. When away, I missed the sound of my mom’s voice saying, “I love you more,” and the reassurance of my dad’s firm hand patting my head before I went off to bed. I felt secure at home.
Even as an adult, I long for the summer nights, listening to the sound of the sprint cars speeding on the race track in the distance. Curiously deciphering the quiet chatters among the hums of the television as my parent’s conversed in the living room down below. However, what I miss most is the certainty I felt that when my eyes should wake from their sunken slumber, the sun would once again be shining and I would still be there, under my parents roof, in the comfort and security of their loving care. There in my home existed a sense of security in which I could truly find rest. It was a safe haven, a refuge.
Now in my mid-thirties, life is unpredictable and, at times, unstable. I look back on my childhood and envy the nights I so easily rested my head and slept through the night without a care. Frequently, my nights are spent restlessly tossing, worrying about the uncertainties of life. Despite the many blessings I have been granted, the idea of security sometimes feels nonexistent.
Unfortunately, we are not promised a comfortable life or a safe haven here on earth. Time after time we put our hope and trust in that which is fleeting.
Sometimes when I struggle finding rest, I read scripture. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 4:8 in which David is testifying that his trust in the Lord, despite being surrounded by his enemies, has given him the peace to safely rest.
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. -Psalm 4:8 NIV
The word dwell is defined as, “to live in” or “to exist”. God wants us to live in and to exist in the safety that he alone can provide. He wants to give us the refuge we seek. He offers the peace we desperately yearn for. We can rest in the peace of his promise because, in a world of uncertainty, he is the only sure thing.
Throughout the world there are people seeking a place to dwell in safety. While I don’t rely on my family and friends for the security I need to be seeking in Christ, I have been blessed with a community that I can count on to support me in difficult times. Not everyone has a support system to fall back on. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of people across the globe who have been displaced from their families and forced out of their homes with little to no support. And, with little hope of finding a safe and secure place to find rest.
In June, I am traveling to Lebanon because I want to support those who have experienced a travesty and who live a threatened life in an unstable environment. I am hoping God will use me to help others find hope in him and to find the safety and security that only he can provide.
I would love for you to join me on this journey through prayer, asking God to use me to encourage those who might feel alone or even forsaken. To share in their pain and to make them feel seen and heard. To share with them the hope I have in Christ, so that they too can find comfort in the security he offers.
Should you have an interest in supporting me financially, you can give by clicking here.