A Refuge

The word refuge has been in both my Circle bible study this week and my Wednesday bible study. It is talked about in both Joshua and in Psalms. Joshua created cities of refuge throughout the promised land as instructed by God to Moses and in Psalms David tells us that God is our refuge. A place of safety and a place to find peace and support and love. America is an entire nation set up as a place of refuge. Send us your weary and oppressed and they will get a chance here. They will be safe and find peace here. I guess we offer more of a refuge than most places, but I think our purpose may have changed a little and I know our principles have. God was part of the equation then and maybe not so much now. I feel like I find refuge in Him, he is the safe harbor. It is in Him I find peace and hope. I then think it is up to me to create that refuge in my own home. It is a place to go at the end of the day that provides that peace and safety. It is that place to get away from the chaos of the day and feel the warmth and peace of being home. I also want my family and friends to feel that when they walk across the threshold of my home, that this is a place to feel like they can be themselves and laugh and talk and not worry about the problems outside that door. My grown kids have stayed here while they were in college. My grandson stayed here while he recovered from surgery. I want them to always know this is their home and a place they can always come to for refuge. This home is a place where God is present. Don't think for a minute that this country and this world isn't filled with God's presence. He created this world to be a place of peace and love. We have made it different not him. Maybe we can't change the face of the world, but we can change ourselves by being like Joshua and create places of refuge in our country, in our state, in our towns, in our churches, in our schools, in our homes, in our hearts. Safe havens, safe harbors, they are found in God's loving arms.