Safe Place
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“Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you.” Psalm 91:1-2
Her safe place was her home, so she thought. When she needed to retreat because of a conflict and feeling hurt, she hurried home, but it did not feel safe anymore. Her husband had died, and she realized it was not her home but her husband who made her feel safe and secure.
That feeling of being safe and secure is allusive in our world today with mass shootings, storms, and conflicts. We lock our doors. We have locked safes in our homes for our valuables. We lock our cars, our offices, and our bikes. We have codes and passwords on our accounts and computers. We have security systems and virus protections. We desire to feel safe and secure with our finances, our possessions, and our families. We want to feel emotionally secure, too, but we may feel emotionally attacked and do not want to risk getting hurt again.
I know when my dog, Annie feels safe and secure. She lays down and rolls over to have her belly rubbed and soon falls asleep. As long as she is being touched, she feels secure. She trusts me that I will protect her from hurt and harm. For several years, Annie was my security. She was with me constantly after my husband died. I relied on her for companionship but also to be with me when I felt alone. What does it mean to feel safe and secure? It is to be protected from danger. To be secure means to be attached to something firmly. To be fastened to, connected, anchored. My dog is attached to me, and I am to her.
As you experience life and take steps to live into the life you now have, you desire a safe place to share your feelings, emotions, and struggles that is free from judgment and expectations. Your spouse may have been that safe person with whom you vented and shared your inner most expressions. You may have a trusted friend or counselor whom you share the inner part of yourself that is hidden from others.
As a counselor, I have tried to create a safe place without judgment to process feelings, emotions, and the struggles of life. It is the Holy Spirit through me that discerns, listens, and challenges. People unintentionally though hurt others. We misunderstand and have expectations that are not met. We disappoint each other and break trust. Our safety net and security is destroyed. We feel alone and vulnerable without protection as we attempt to live into this new and different life.
When everything on the outside feels unsafe and I feel no protection or security around me, I turn inward and anchor myself in the One who is always there – Jesus. My safe place is not found in any earthly relationship or place. It is only in God. My safe place is in my heart where Jesus’ Spirit dwells. It has taken time for me to get to this place on the journey of life. But loss and disappointments have made me aware that the connection that never changes is Jesus. When life becomes overwhelming and people disappoint, I have had to find peace and protection in Jesus. I turn to the only safe place which is my own heart. I just sit with Jesus and He holds my hand. I do not have to do anything but just be in His presence. I begin to release the outward pressures to perform and achieve and control because none of that feels safe anymore. Security is found in being in God’s presence and living in the moment with Him. It is letting go and breathing in the peace and presence of God. Try it!
