There is a fierce winter storm going on outside as I write this. I have prepared really well; I have flashlights with extra batteries at the ready. I have a huge pot of chili prepared, all my electronic devices have been charged, and I bought a power bank in case the power goes out. My laundry has been done, I have lined up indoor activities and movies to watch if the power stays on. However, no matter how high I set my thermostat or my gas fireplace, I am still needing to wear two sweatshirts and fleece socks. I went to make yet another cup of very hot coffee, and as I stood by the coffeemaker, I felt a little breeze coming out of the wall. To my surprise (and homeowner’s ignorance), I discovered cold air coming through the electrical outlet. I went on a journey of discovery throughout my house, and I realized that cold air was coming through every outlet on an outside wall! I thought I was so conscientious and had prepared so well, yet I was still caught off guard and freezing! When my children were toddlers, I plugged up every single unused outlet in the house to keep them from sticking dangerous items in the holes; it never occurred to me that I needed to guard the holes to keep the good stuff in. I quickly got some tape to cover the holes, and my house was warmer within thirty minutes. The storm is still raging on the outside, but every access point in my home has denied the storm’s entrance into my place of comfort and safety.
I wonder what access points in my heart have inadvertently been left open to the threats to my peace. I obviously have missed a few, because I still experience fear, anger, and anxiety. I can’t control the storms, and when I forget Who actually does, I am helpless. God says to “Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23. I can’t guard it by cowering in a corner and covering my head, but I also can’t guard it by fighting under my own power. I didn’t realize that freezing air was entering my house through tiny little holes in the walls. Even easier to miss are the unguarded areas of my heart that allow the storms of life to seep in –storms that I am so quick to blame on someone else. When I remember that the Lord is the One who lives with me and in me, and that He is my refuge and my fortress (Psalm 91:2), then the holes in my heart are safely plugged up, despite the storms that rage outside. The storm cannot get in, and the warmth cannot get out.
I am safe, no matter what.
Grace Notes 