A woman arrived at the small rural church one Sunday in early spring. She sat near the back of the sanctuary. Clearly unfamiliar with the liturgy of the congregation, members of the congregation tried to help her follow along. The woman listened and sang when she recognized a hymn. After the service, she accepted an invitation to remain for fellowship. It was there, over coffee, that she shared her story with the pastor. The woman had lost a daughter and son-in-law to drug overdoses. Well-meaning questions at her previous church kept opening the wound. She needed a place of refuge to heal. The woman sought refuge in a place where she was both unknown and known. Sitting among strangers, God remained the woman’s rock amidst the waves of personal trauma that washed over her. God remained an anchor of hope.
Psalm 71 is a statement of the writer’s trust and hope in God that is voiced through all of life’s stages. Like the psalmist, she trusted the Lord to be present, rescue her from the hand of unjust situations, and provide comfort in her grief and pain. The hardships she faced eased over the years, because God’s love remained ever-present.
Gracious Lord, may I always remember that you are my place of refuge. Amen. —