There is something wonderful about feeling safe. It is as if you know everything is going to be ok. I find that my soul is restored. I tangibly feel Hope’s touch. It is as if I am in a magical place that I never want to leave. Recently I rediscovered the awe and stunning wonder that occurs when one feels truly and completely safe.
I look back and find myself reaching to embrace the memory. I love the sense of belonging where I am safe. It is in this place that I know any and everything is possible. I see the future without fear. Even as I anticipate what could and will go wrong, I know that Hope will be there through the helping hands in my life.
The experience is connected to a second memory, reminding me that we live in an ugly world. I came away from the sense of belonging and rejoined a world where things had gone bad. It was as if I was a character in an independent film based on an old Psalm; “While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in, brawling and scrawling graffiti.” (Psalm 74.4) In the blink I went from an inspiring high to struggling with life’s realities. Life’s whisper continued.
We live in a battlefield that relentlessly rages on. Even in moments of beauty and wonder, the battle continues. I find myself embracing good knowing that I will need every bit of the gifts that love, compassion, and mercy leave within us. The fact that we live in the middle of the battle between evil and good does not mean that it needs to define everything we experience.
Compassion, beauty, and awe are trump cards. We may forget that they exist. We may not remember that we are holding them in our back pockets. Regardless, they are real and in our possession. We can use them at any time. In using them, I find that another has taken its place.
The battle continues. It is good to know that divine gifts are always available.
