Monday Reflections: Safety First!

“Be my rock of refuge where I can always escape…”

Psalm 71

Life is strange sometimes. We do not know when storms will come. Even when they find us in the middle of the field, refuge is always nearby. UMCom photo by Kay Panovec

Friends, I pray you had a great summer. I hope you had some meaningful rest and, with your staff, are ready to welcome a new community of students this fall. For the next few weeks, I am bringing you reflections based on the Psalms. This week’s psalm speaks about taking refuge and experiencing safety in God.

The summer before I moved to Kansas City to attend seminary, the movie Twister was released. I knew this was a Hollywood movie, but I was curious about tornadoes and the culture surrounding them. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, so I knew about hurricanes. Tornadoes were a different story.

At the climax of the movie, and I don’t think I’m spoiling this (the movie was released in 1996), the biggest twister is passing through, and the protagonists have nowhere to hide. They tie themselves to a water pipe protruding from the ground, surviving the storm. Needless to say, this left an impression on me. I remember calling the admissions director after watching the movie, and he had the biggest laugh about my questions. I also laughed with him… nervously.

A few years later, when I heard my first tornado siren, I calmly took my infant daughter and our dogs and, with my wife, moved to the basement. Let me tell you, a basement beats a water pipe in the middle of an open field in Kansas any day. We were safe from the storm. I still get nervous when hearing a storm siren, but I know I’m fortunate enough to have a refuge.

Life is strange sometimes. We do not know when storms will come. Even when they find us in the middle of the field, refuge is always nearby. Faith is a place for safety. Community is a place for safety. Hope is a place for safety. When the storms hit, it is a good plan to know where to go. Refuge is at hand.

Questions to ponder: What does being “safe from the storm” look like for you? Where/what/who is your refuge?

Prayer
Holy Love, in you we can find safety in the middle of the storm. Guide us to the place of refuge when the storm hits and we seem lost. Amen.