Shelter in the Lamp

My eyes followed a tall white wooden post to the top, where a lamp shines out against the dark. Inside, tucked between the glass panes and the light bulb sits a tiny bird. It has found this tucking away place in the midst of winter’s wet cold, a source of shelter and warmth. Every time I see movement of the little bird inside the lamp, I smile and think of how we also receive needed shelter in the midst of cold storms. We all need places sometimes to gather into when a new wave of snow and ice is lashing at the door.  

“You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. “

Psalm 32:7

There is a sight I pass on my way to work most mornings of a mother putting her child on the school bus. The sight itself is not bothersome, it is as natural and as correct as can be. Where I find the tugging on my heart is that instead of being outside a house or apartment, these two are bundled against the weather outside of a local shelter. As I pass, I pray for this family. For stability and economic success, but more importantly that in this time of difficulty, they will also be tucked into the sheltering warmth of God’s love.

We all need a spot to be hidden from the world as it can be a vast place and quite messy with the needs and perceptions of people. How I rejoice that in the midst of trouble, we are surrounded with songs of deliverance. Go, seek out encouragement – it is right there on the light post.