My Safe Place

By Norma Miller

January 1, 2019

All I ever wanted . . . just four little words, but those words are packed to the gills with meaning. When they dare to be uttered, their source is daring to bare their heart and soul to give you insight into their deepest desires. And usually following those words comes a story—a story of crushed hopes and dreams.

What was that? What did I want? All I ever wanted was to be safe—safe and secure and protected (Well, I might have wanted a bit more than that). Oh, the topsy-turvy rides I have gone on with the Lord on this topic.

Safety and security always seem to elude me for some reason. I still flounder around at times with this whole protection thing. I just wanted life to behave, to be predictable. I figured an orderly God would plan everything neatly ahead so I would know what was coming next and could map out the next five years in advance. Right? I mean, doesn’t that sound like God to you? Wrong! A song I know says, “Come away with Me, come away with Me....I have a plan for you, I have a plan for you—it’s gonna be wild, it’s gonna be great, it’s gonna be full of Me.” Jesus is a bit on the unpredictable side, I have found.

I have also found He is not overly concerned about how comfortable I feel. He is more concerned that I find Him as  my Security, my Protector, my Shelter, my Rock, my Safe Place. My Safe Place (said with a satisfied sigh).—yes, I run to HIM now when life is determined to run me through a torrent of rapids, or something unpredictable happens yet again, or when it feels like all is a big pile of shambles.

He truly is my Protector, and He is so good at what He does! Surprise! He never lets me down. I often let Him down by not trusting Him right away, but He just gives me another shot at it later!

Yes, He has taken me on quite the wild goose chases through the years. My life has been a crazy dance of running around trying to find safety, or creating it—and cleaning my house was one way I tried to fix everything. That way I had at least one safe, predictable place to hide.

I did all I could to fix everything in my life and to make it look good so I could feel like all was well. But if anything messes with my little plans, it felt as if the world was caving in. Jesus Himself pulled a couple of those landslides off just to see what I would do. His watchful eyes followed as I scurried around, all in a tizzy, trying once again to fix it all and make it all behave. Then He chuckled and pulled the next little string. He knew how I was wearing myself out. He knew how tiring that was, and He wanted to show me a better way.

This is how I became intimately acquainted with the scripture in Matthew where it says, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28–30).

His yoke is not us trying to scurry around doing it all in our own strength, wearing ourselves out in the process. His yoke is sweet—when we submit the problem to Him and then submit ourselves to Him and walk alongside him. It’s not burdensome this way. His yoke truly is easy and His burden is light.

All I ever wanted was to feel safe—and oh, the journey I have been on and the bunny trails I went on as I was looking for it! I have found it in His sweet embrace as I learned that He truly is so very safe and trustworthy.

— Norma

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