10 | Be Sheltered

Sometimes I feel like this world here on earth is more sharp corners and jagged angles than soft landing places.  I crave a fluffy cloud of faith to lift me heavenward.

Sometimes I crash through a week of Mondays.  Misstep after misinterpretation after mishap.  And I just need a Sunday morning sanctuary to get me to the other side.

Do you ever crave a break from this wacky world?  Do you ever desire a sabbath so you can see past the sharp corners and jagged angles and Monday mishaps, so you can see God's gifts these days instead?

Today we are going to seek exactly that kind of sabbath, that soft landing place, that shelter provided by our Shepherd.  Settle in to the softest spot you can find.  Breathe deep into your belly.  Hold in that good oxygen.  Exhale any exhaustion or mental exhaust.  Please pray with me.

Lord,

You walked this earth in Christ's body.  You know how rough and rocky our paths can be.  You understand our feelings of vulnerability, pain, and exhaustion.  You recognize how harsh words rain down, how twisted acts trip up, how the earthly elements erode our psyche and our stamina.

You see us on the days we feel like just-hatched birds, naked save for a few scraggly feathers, cold and shivering and hungry with gaping mouths.  You see our hunger for love, warmth, and shelter for our souls.

Maidservant of Encouragement via Etsy.com

The Heavenly Father that you are, you spread your vast, strong wings and cover us. You blot out the frigid winds; you shield us from spying predators.  You offer the warmth that comes from your protective presence, the faith that comes from your steadfast watch.

via jenniferrizzo.com

Through the twigs and branches of your living word, you have built us a strong and sturdy nest.  You have lined it with your downy feathers, soft wisps and whispers of your unconditional love, unquestioning forgiveness, eternal grace.  You give us this day our daily bread: food, water, shelter, protection.  You provide for our every need.  Tomorrow we can count on you for the same, and for all the days to come we can trust in your refuge.

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Under your watchful care we grow, from scrawny chicks to fledgling flyers to gawky adolescents.  You lead the way with your perfect example.  And when we fall short, because inevitably we all fall short, you swoop in to protect and correct and reteach. You invite us back to the nest.  You bring us back under your wing.

Lord, this gift of your safety and security is precious.  When our world feels too big, too exposed, too overwhelming, you offer your shelter — not too hide or escape, but to regain strength, to rebuild faith.  Help us to remember we can always fly back to your nest, by reading your word, by praying, by meditating on your good works and perfect timing.  We can always rest our wings and refuel for the rest of the journey by taking time to be still under your wing.

And as we travel onward, as we mature in our faith-fueled flight, help us to see where we can replicate your refuge.  Show us where we can shelter others — with a branch of your living word, with an uplifting prayer of understanding, with a morsel of much needed daily bread, with feathers from our own love-built nests.  Help us to peck away at the harsh edges of this life and create soft landing places that speak to your promise of eternity.

Amen.

Need a little more comfort for your nest?  I love this poster from www.behance.net/gallery

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