The last two days here in Atlanta have been very nice Fall days, but the morning chill in the air is not my idea of nice. I don't know what the temp was this morning, but yesterday when I left my place before dawn it was 42 degrees outside. Today after I took the dog out for her morning walk, I began to wonder (as I do every Fall), if I would make it through this upcoming Winter or not. As an extremely cold-natured person, I fear the onset of crisp, cold mornings and the constant need to be prepared and dressed properly for low temperatures. I know it is a bit dramatic to be wondering if I will make it through the Winter, but honestly, the thought crossed my mind.
So I went to church this morning, and the sermon was about how God is our refuge. He is our refuge from everything: from the world around us, from people who harm us, from diseases and pains that plague us, and from our very own selves, our guilty consciences. The pastor challenged us with the calling as believers to not only cling to that refuge for ourselves but also to point others to the refuge. The church I went to this morning is particularly focused on ministering to and offering refuge to the homeless population in Midtown Atlanta.
What do these two little stories have in common? I realized as I was sitting there at church in my nice warm clothes with my nice leather coat just how absolutely ridiculous it is for me to fear the impending Winter. There are people all around this city, who I probably pass every day and usually don't even notice, who are legitimately wondering if they will make it through this Winter. Unlike me -- worried about running from my warm home to my heated car and from my heated car to a classrooom with heat, all the while wearing many layers of warm clothing to keep me warm -- those people do not have enough layers of clothing to stay warm, they don't have a bed with sheets and comforter and heated blanket, they don't have hot coffee every morning and hot chocolate whenever they want it, they don't know if they will have a balanced meal each day to help their bodies work harder maintaining normal body temperature, and they probably don't even have a warm heart to encourage them and point them to a refuge that far outweighs all the earthly comforts that they lack. I hope that my cold heart will be warm enough this Winter to stop thinking about my insignificant inconveniences and lead someone with real needs to a refuge from the cold and to the One who provides refuge from this life as well.
1 comment:
GREAT post Kristin.
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