A Safe Place

When weariness or overwhelming urgencies chip away at joy, we need a “go to” plan, somewhere to pause the struggle, a temporary escape from busyness, stress, turbulent times, difficult relationships, or family chaos. Retreating to a good book, resting in a favorite chair, listening to special music, or just a finding a quiet space may help ease one’s mind and inner turmoil.

My “place” is a childhood memory of summer evenings when my four siblings were in bed drowsing off to sleep after an exhausting day of fun and play. While the house was quiet, I would sit by my small, open bedroom window listening to the the sounds of a waning summer day: leaves rustling in the silver oak tree as a light breeze whispered by, a hermit thrush’s sweet song interspersed with the twilight call of a whip-o-will in the pine grove, and a Bob-o-link bob-o-linking in the field between the house and the grove. The world was calm and ordered. I was at peace. Responsibility and worries were my parents’ problems and rarely touched me then. In those moments, a beautiful awareness of belonging stirred within me. Those remembrances of innocent moments still calm me to sleep many years later.

Some of us are plagued by stress filled or traumatizing experiences and have difficulty finding cherished moments to rest our minds, bodies, and souls. Moving beyond loss, abuse, victimization, anger, guilt, and shame takes time and hard soul searching work. The proper place for negative memories and hurts is where they no longer have control over emotions and behaviors. Sorting them out may require professional help, but scripture encourages us to look to the love and strength of Jesus, who invites us, “Come to me… learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls…” (Matt 11:28-29).

That is a credible offer. In spite of his stress filled life, Jesus humbly, willingly, and without complaint embraced loss, poverty, grief, temptation, hardship, betrayal, and injustice as he showed us how to live by the power and grace of God. The author of Hebrews exhorted his readers to “Consider (Jesus) who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted (Hebrews 12:2-3).” His unmitigated love for his Father and for humanity enabled him to overcome, persevere, and fulfill his redemptive work at the cross as the only blameless sacrifice and perfect payment for our sins.

One Old Testament name for God was Deliverer. The Psalmist sang, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust” (Psalm 18:2). Jesus carried that divine role into New Testament times. He declared, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). He changed the lives of the troubled and diseased, the disenfranchised, sinners, and even the dead. His ultimate show of power was a glorious resurrection by which he guaranteed eternal hope for those who would accept his redemptive gift with genuine repentance and trust.

The Psalmist also saw God’s deliverance as cause for celebration: “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance “ (Psalm 32:7). Christ is our divine Protector. If he loved us enough to enter humanity to deliver us from evil influences and spiritual oppressions by meeting our redemptive need, lifting our spiritual burdens, and showing us a better way, we can confidently cast our fears, inadequacies, guilt, shame, past indiscretions, and failures into a relationship with him. He seeks, loves and forgives without judgment or condemnation and has promised that his spirit would be with those who trust him. He is a refuge for all who heed and is worthy of “shouts of deliverance.”

His invitation to “rest” is really an invitation to “abide” in him, to reflect upon him, to center life around him, to draw strength from him, and to move forward with confidence in God’s goodness and protective love. He is a safe place.