Concrete roofing tiles came flying off my roof, from almost 3-stories up … landing with a terrible, jarring, shattering crash! in a metal dumpster-trailer parked just outside my kitchen window.
It was rather unnerving!
Crash! … after crash! … after crash! … after crash! …
What if one of those heavy concrete tiles accidentally missed … and came crashing down through one of the kitchen skylights??
What if one of those heavy concrete tiles accidentally hit the edge of the trailer and projectile’d into/through the kitchen window??
Hubby and I decided to go for a Costco run. It would be good to get out for a bit.
When we got back from Costco, the flying concrete tiles had ceased … and the upper portion of our home was now completely open, exposed bare beams.
We also noticed that the roofers had thoughtfully covered the kitchen window with a couple of plywood boards. Wasn’t that nice!
Immediately the thought popped into my head: “I am covered. God covers me. God covers and protects me just like those boards are covering and protecting my kitchen windows.”
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ … He will cover you.” – Psalm 91:1-4
The trailer full of shattered concrete tiles seemed the perfect photo spot for this little ghost I had picked up as a spur-of-the-moment purchase a while back.
As soon as I saw this little ghost in the store, it immediately made me think of all the people in our country who are freaking out! about the upcoming election!
Just like the unnerving feeling of having heavy concrete tiles come flying off my roof from way up high … and shatter just outside my kitchen window … so also, it is unnerving to watch the way up high leadership of our country come flying off … and shatter in pieces everywhere!
Just as it was unnerving thinking of one of those concrete tiles crashing down through our kitchen skylights … so also, it is likewise unnerving to worry about the heavy damage and destruction which might come crashing down into each of our homes if things don’t go well.
Everyone is freaking out!
Then compounding on top of that … we are inundated with a constant barrage of everything bad which is happening all around the world! There is a lot of freaking out! going on!
I don’t think God made us to be able to handle that much bad.
When God calls us to walk a path of suffering, he gives us a special grace to be able to handle that burden.
Such as the people who have recently suffered great loss and destruction due to unprecedented flooding from the hurricane. God has given those people a special sustaining grace to handle their suffering. God has called those people to walk that path … and he is giving them special grace to be able to do so.
With just a touch of a screen, I can see all of their suffering, destruction, and loss! My heart aches and grieves with those people. It would be very easy for me to pick up that burden and carry it as my own.
But God has not given me the special grace to carry that burden. That is not my burden to carry.
With just a touch of a screen, any of us can see endless, untold suffering, destruction, and injustice on the other side of the globe! We are incensed at the injustice! Our souls are torn by the brokenness we see. It would be very easy to pick up those burdens and carry them as our own.
But God has not given us the special grace to carry those burdens.
Those people on the other side of the world who are in those situations … God is right there with them in those situations!
God is sustaining them!
God is covering them!
God is giving them a special grace to walk that path.
In these next few weeks leading up to the election … there is going to be a lot of freaking out!
As bad things from all over the world continue to inundate us … there is going to be a lot of freaking out!
If you belong to Jesus Christ, you are covered! You are covered just like my kitchen windows were covered!
There might be a lot of bad things flying around all over the place (just like the shattered concrete tiles flying all over the place) … but when you are covered, you are safe. You are secure.
You don’t have to worry.
You don’t have to be anxious.
You don’t have to be afraid.
God’s got it all under control.
“He sets up kings and deposes them.” – Daniel 2:21
“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD. … The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” – Psalm 2:1-4
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nation, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10
