Pieces of the Puzzle

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ~Psalm 91:4 and 5.

There have been times that I have found myself in a place where I have had to rely on someone’s mercy for my basic needs. I have found myself relying on someone to provide a place for my stuff, food to eat and a space to lay my head for sleep. It can be awkward and uncomfortable being left to someone else’s discretion for meeting these basic needs. I may not get to eat the type of food I like to eat. I may have to share a small space with my whole family that normally would accommodate just one. There may be no guarantee of when I will get to take a shower and even then I may be rushed through it because others need to use the same bathroom. Staying in someone else’s home can cause moments of discomfort, like when I am hungry, tired or frustrated at having to do things a different way than I would normally do them. In this particular situation, I was simply visiting family for a short time where the minor discomforts were countered with joyous times.

It has occurred to me that with Covid-19 we are facing many discomforts and uncertainties. We don’t always know when or IF our basic needs will be met. Some of the things that brought us joy among life’s hardships seem to be on hold. It can be easy to blame someone for our circumstances and lose our patience with how things are. We don’t know what tomorrow holds.

But Psalm 91 reminds us that God is our shelter, verses 4 and 5 say “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” and verse 14 says “Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him; I will protect him for he acknowledges my name.

Dear God, you see us all wherever we may be. You see our anxieties and our concerns. You know our deepest needs. Thank you for your faithfulness. Help us to find small joys in unexpected places. Send us your Spirit to calm our fears and to remind us that we are your beloved children. Amen.