March 3, 2021

Weekly Reflection – God Will Take Care of Me

Does this thought ever cross your mind, “God will take care of me?” I read this week about a child named Howard who his mother awakened one evening. As the story goes, she asked if he would like to see the comet (Halley’s Comet). He got up, dressed quickly, and went out with her into the backyard. There he saw the awesome tail of the comet and stood transfixed. With deep anxiety, he asked, without taking his eyes off it, “What will happen to us when that thing falls out of the sky?”

There was a long silence during which he felt the gentle pressure of her fingers on his shoulders. At last, she said, “Nothing will happen to us, Howard. God will take care of us.” At that moment, something was touched and kindled in him, a quiet reassurance. Have you ever had such a sense of “God will take care of me?”

This past week my state of Texas experienced one of those “falling comet” events when exceptionally cold weather (10 degrees F, -12 C) collided with a failed electricity grid, frozen natural gas lines, and burst water pipes. Much of the state was plunged into the frigid dark with no running water and no fuel for heating. Through it all, I have again become aware of God’s abiding care. And I cannot help but compare our current “difficulty” with many around the world who are routinely without running water in their homes.

I think of those women in the Bible and even in many parts of today’s civilization who routinely travel some distance with clay jugs to bring water home from the river or a well. I reflect on those in Jakarta who are homeless and routinely sleep outdoors in the cold. We all learn to adapt to whatever state we find ourselves in, both long and short term. I recall the Apostle Paul writing (in a somewhat different context) “…for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am…” (Phil 4:11) and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)

Without electricity, many of us in Texas have endured dark nights and failing refrigerators. And I think of those in Nigeria and other similar locations who light oil lamps at night and are limited in their food supply (No easily available supermarkets in their world!). Each of these has learned to manage within their particular situation.

My “neighbors” in Cairo had moved to the city from the countryside in order to have a better life. They lived in a large plywood box with the nearest water spigot about 30 meters away. Their water buffalo was tied to a tree next to my driveway. Like us this week, they had no electricity for heat or light. Yet their three children seemed happy as they flew home-made kites or pushed a hoop down the road.

Regardless of the physical situation, God cares for His creation. Sometimes it takes a crisis to jolt us out of “normal” and make us realize how really normal our situation is compared to others. There will always be those who have more difficulties than we, and there will be those who are more blessed materially than we are. But we are always blessed by a God who cares for all of His creation. We cast our cares on Him because He cares for us. (I Pet 5:7)

Blessings,

P.S. It is ironic that, during a week of frigid anomalies in its technologically savvy hometown, NASA has landed a rover on the planet Mars!

Read more Weekly Reflections: Chaplain’s Corner