My Shelter in the Storm

Kathy Sporre ♦ December 4, 2012 ♦ 4 Comments

EMOTIONAL WELLNESS – Be mindful of how you feel! Engage in mindfulness activities such as yoga and tai chi; talk with your doctor or counselor if you’re feeling blue.

SPIRITUAL WELLNESS – Connect with your spirit! Use ways that are meaningful to you:whether that’s through your place of worship, prayer, or meditation.

Everyone should have a “happy place” – a shelter in the storm where they can go to in their mind when they are filled with anxiety and the sometimes overwhelming pains of life. I return to my roots, and there are two places where they grow deep.

One is currently my home on a crystal clear, sandy lake in Minnesota. I spent my childhood summers here with my grandparents during the three month break from school. It is filled with memories of family, unconditional love, and one where my roots have grown as deep as the tall oaks in the yard.

In my mind, I venture out to the end of the dock when seeking solace. At the end of the dock I look out on the water that is as calm as glass in a season that warms me by the mid-morning sun. It is a cloudless day and the eagles soar far above me looking for a fish to swoop down and carry home to their young. The sunfish and minnows are swimming around darting in and out of the shadows cast by the dock, the boat and my own shadow on the water as I watch them with curiosity. As a child, I used to think the water in the lake was a sacred thing. It was the most rejuvenating, cleansing, healing thing I knew of on this planet.

The other place is one I made up using imagery. For me, it has become no less as real as my summer childhood home. I picture myself laying in the palm of the Lord’s hand high up in the clouds, far above the earth. His hand can close around me, to protect me against any harm. I curl up and feel the warmth emanating from His hand, as though my body were wrapped in a warm blanket soothing my soul and calming my anxious mind and hurting heart. As an adult I see this holy hand as a sacred place where I feel safe and can drop all my defenses. It is a rejuvenating, cleansing, healing place where my spirit can go for rest.

It is good to have a happy place – a safe place – where we can turn in times of need. When I was young, I turned to my parents. They would pick me up and brush away my tears. I’ve lost them as I’ve been refined by age™, but I haven’t lost the need for a safe haven from the storms of life. While visiting my shelter in the storm, I am reminded to say, “Thank you for the opportunity to learn and grow. Help turn my sorrow into my blessing.”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne  will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’   ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ ” Revelation 7:17

YouTube Video: I Have a Shelter by Sovereign Grace Ministries

YouTube Video: Bring the Rain by MercyMe

YouTube Video: Blessings by Laura Story