Tip of My Iceberg

She didn’t bring him out right away. We knew he’d come, but we had to wait to see him. When she was ready to show him.

We have deer living in the brush surrounding the pond behind our home, and it became obvious that one of the does was going to have a baby this past spring.

One day she showed up, less of her but no little one with her.

We have other wildlife behind our home, and I was concerned something had gotten to the little one. All the mother doe had done to provide for her baby might have been for nothing.

Then he showed up in our backyard. Alone. Resting on the ground as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

I didn’t see his mother, but I’m sure she was nearby. I couldn’t imagine, with hiding him for this long, that she’d let him out of her sight. But the little guy was calm as I approached to take his picture. He looked at me with interest, not fear. I respected his need for distance and didn’t push my luck. As I stood there and we stared at each other, I wondered how it would be to feel that calm, that safe in the midst of this very big and harsh world.

People all over the world are longing for that sense of peace and safety now. Life appears to be spiraling down into places none of us really want to go. Fear is rampant; anger is nurtured by fear which can lead to divisions among people, who then become caught in a perfect storm of loss of control and perspective.

Like the fawn, we have limited resources to keep us safe. We need outside help from those who are concerned and able to assist us.

We all want a safe haven. A place of rest for our overwhelmed minds and overdone emotions.

There is no safer place than in the arms of God. The Father who knows what horrors we deal with and calms us with His truth and love. This world is not a safe place–no matter what your geography or socioeconomic status. We can’t hide from brokenness. We can’t avoid shattered dreams.

But God offers us comfort and peace in the midst of the crises. He doesn’t make them go away–that short circuits the free will of those He has created in love. Consequences happen because of the condition of our world–sadness, despair, loss, grief. He’s in it with us, experiencing our pain because He knows what it’s like to be misrepresented and misunderstood. He knows what it’s like to feel the hatred of the crowds. He understands the cost of standing up for what you believe in.

Jesus did all that. And more.

Who is safest to go to when the times are tumultuous? Who is best equipped to help us through those times of hardship and heartache?

The One who has lived it.

In the midst of the uncertainty of today, He is our safe haven.

And so much more.