Shelter

I’ve been thinking about shelter. Having it. Giving it. Knowing it.

The other night, as the wind and sleet whipped against our windows, I was thankful for the shelter of our home. I could picture several faces of people that I “know” that likely did not have shelter that night. These are the men and women I see at the end of the Irving Park ramp coming off of 94 or that are stationed outside of Walgreen’s on Halsted. I don’t know where they were that night - I can only hope that they had shelter.

We know a couple that made room for a young man to stay in their one bedroom apartment with them for a month. When I heard this, I seriously had to think about if we would open our home to someone for that long- I still don’t know if we would or not. Either way, I thought it was really great that they gave someone shelter.

I feel very blessed by the shelter of the community that Jason and I have found in our church. We have found friendships with some wonderful people. There are two couples that we take turns with in hosting dinner or planning something fun every other month or so and that has been such a fun way for Jason and I to share in the friendship of others at the same time. There are friends that knew Jason before they knew me and then when I moved back home, they welcomed me into their circle. There are friends that have come out of serving in our children’s ministry together. Shelter sometimes comes in just seeing familiar faces. We have found shelter in these people.

But the shelter that I most prefer and live under is the shelter that the Lord gives me. The shelter of His infinite and unfailing love. The shelter of His sustaining comfort and wisdom. The shelter of His powerful might and perfect will. Oh, how I love His shelter.

The shelter of the Cross, the place where Christ died as a ransom for us all, this is life-giving shelter. His blood that was shed is my covering. His blood that was shed is your covering. I know this. I know this shelter. At times, it is the only shelter I find comfort in.