Under His Wings

Christmas evening, as we were gathered together in our living room, a tornado tore through the midtown section of our city approximately 1.13 miles from our house.  The tornado sirens were blaring and soon the sound of police and fire sirens followed.  In fact, I can't remember ever hearing so many sirens at one time ever before.

Our grandson Jackson, who is six, asked about the ominous sound which was drowning out our Christmas music and we told him it was the tornado sirens.  He immediately erupted into tears and fear.  Earlier this week, another tornado had come through almost the same area of town and created a good bit of damage.  I suppose Jackson had heard some adults talking about this.  Also, he has seen the movie "The Wizard of Oz" numerous times.  To his little brain, tornadoes are things that "suck you up" and carry you off far, far away.

In an attempt to console him, I wrapped  my arms around him and turned him toward the seven adults in the room.  "Jackson, do you see all these people in this room?  Each one of these people would do anything -- ANYTHING -- to protect you and keep you safe.  We are all here to take care of you."

Little Jackson, for whom tornadoes are more a thing of movie fiction and nightmares than reality, could not grasp the fact that each one of those adults, his father, his grandparents and aunts, and friends, would give their very lives to protect and save him.  He cannot realize how much he is loved and how safe he is in their presence.

In the same way, we can have no concept of how much our Heavenly Father loves us and desires to take care of us and keep us safe.  He is our Tower, our Strength, our Shelter in a time of storm.  We can rest in the knowledge that "safety is of the Lord."

"He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: 

His truth shall be thy shield and buckler" 

Psalm 91:4

 "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: 

for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." 

Psalm 4:8