Sometime ago I had the great pleasure of going with a friend to see Celtic Woman. The following video features Chloe singing a song that was part of that evening's performance. I find these words
Need to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
particularly poignant. Somewhere in each of us lives a child who longs for a safe place. This is particularly true for those of us who had no safe place in our world, particularly during the years when we formed out opinions about the world and our place in it. We humans look for patterns, for reason and logic and order; it is part of who we are and how we survive in the world.. I suspect that part of the reason for that is our need to feel in control, to feel safe. Yet every day horrible, unjust, painful, unfair, wrong things happen and sometimes they make no sense. The truth is, there is no safe place--except in God.
From Romans 8
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God...he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us...wemust wait patiently and confidently.
I believe the Bible teaches that God's creation was marred by sin. Since we are given freedom to choose God's way or to reject God's way, this world is not a safe place. That is difficult, isn't it? We can, and should, take steps to make places of peace and security, places of love and acceptance and forgivness. But our true and eternal safety is found in the hope that God will one day give us our complete inheiritance as children. God is our safe place!
The words to the song are below the video.
I pray you'll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe
I pray we'll find your light
And hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night
Remind us where you are
Let this be our prayer
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
We ask that life be kind
And watch us from above
We hope each soul will find
Another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Needs to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
Need to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
2 comments:
I love that song. I once heard it sung as a duet by Andrea Boccelli and Celine Dion on a TV special. It's beautiful. And I understand that place where you find yourself. May God's grace, wisdom, and mercy be your abundant portion.
Thank you.
Post a Comment