It snowed in my town recently, not a lot, but enough that school was cancelled for my kids for several days.
When my kids hear “snow day”, they hear music and singing, birds chirping and the rejoicing of the local youth celebrating across the neighborhood. When I hear “snow day” I hear a snarky voice inside my head saying, “Good luck getting anything done today.”
I love my children dearly, but after several days of everyone home due to the weather, all my plans for getting my work done and being super productive went out the window with the snow flurry!
Normally when everyone leaves for their respective jobs and schooling, I can sigh a deep breath out and begin to make a dent in the never-ending to-do list, get work done for my job, and run errands before it’s time to pick up the kids and the next shift of my day starts.
I treasure that time in the morning, in those first few moments after I kiss them goodbye and send them off, because it’s quiet and peaceful. I long to spend some time with God, curled up on my couch in my fuzzy socks, wrapped my fluffy blanket and quietly sipping my coffee while the dog turns a circle and gently plops down next to me with a contented sigh. I long to take my journal off of the new, cute and trendy side table I just got for Christmas and settle in to read God’s Word, jotting down my thoughts and prayers. As I lean against the sofa pillows, I imagine I am leaning against the very throne of God, safe, secure and at peace.
At least that’s how it goes in my head. I have had that experience a few times, but most of the time I find myself chasing it, frantically packing up the kids and then walking the dog so she doesn’t spend all morning barking at her own reflection. In reality, my cute trendy side-table has been commandeered by my youngest child and my fuzzy blanket is usually occupied by the dog after Bark-fest 2024 wraps up. Heaven help us if the mailman comes. And just beyond my cute little corner of the living room, are piles of laundry waiting to be folded and a bathroom that needs deliverance (AKA deep cleaning).
These moments with God are often my anchor to sanity. Especially when I have a crazy-busy week or my reserves are already tapped. Spending time with God resets my perspective and gives me the insight and stamina to not just survive the day, but live it to His glory. But I’ll admit, it is hard to feel that peace when nothing lines up the way I planned, and the day threatens to overwhelm me. Today was one of those days.
As I was aimlessly wandering around the house trying to figure out my next steps, a song I haven’t thought of in years came to mind and put words to the longing in my heart. It is a simple song with a melody sort of like a lullaby:
Hide me away O Lord,
Hide me away O Lord,
In the day of trouble, ‘neath the shadow of your wing,
Hide me away O Lord.
Give me your peace, O Lord,
Give me your peace, O Lord, ,
In the day of trouble, ‘neath the shadow of your wing,
Give me your peace, O Lord.
In a house that felt busy, with stir-crazy kids and a noisy dog, I wanted to hide away. I wanted to sneak back into my bedroom and stay there, wrapped up in my blankets and just let the day roll past. The day felt troublesome and I began to long for peace. I hadn’t planned on the kids being home. I didn’t have a game plan for when the novelty of the snow wore off and the cabin-fever bickering would begin. I desperately needed a place where I could meet God, connect and get my mind right.
So I went to the one place I figured I could hide for a little bit. I went back to my bedroom and got under the covers. Not for the rest of the day, but to pause for just a few minutes. I knew that if I could just be still and let go of my expectations for the day, that I would be able to hear God, comforting me and guiding me. I trusted that if I allowed God to quiet my mind, that he would give me the strength and clarity I needed for the rest of the day.
While I was hiding out, I found the verse of the day on my Bible phone app. As I lay there, I read these words, from Psalm 91:1,4:
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
Psalm 91:1,4
I asked God to shelter me in His wings, to hide me away for a moment and restore me. I asked Him to shield me from the chaos and anxiety that kept trying to creep into my mind and let me rest in His shadow. I asked God to help me do the things. All the things. Because frankly I did not want to get back up and head back into the living room.
I lay there complaining to the Lord for a few more minutes and, as He always does, He gently began to change my heart and mind. Somehow, I got dressed (like in real clothes, not sweats) and took my kids to get hot chocolate and run a quick errand. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was good.
When we got back, I realized that the kids weren’t chaotic, my mind was. They had actually been pretty great. I was so focused on meeting God on my terms, in my “perfect” setting, that I forgot I serve a God who is omnipresent! He can meet me anywhere. In fact, He was already steps ahead of me, providing for my every need and care. I can hide away under the shelter of His wing and find refuge, in any circumstance. He would shield me and care for me whether the day brought discontentment or actual real trouble.
By the end of the day, I experienced peace. I got the kids fed, my husband came home from work and I got back into my fuzzy sweatpants & slippers to wind down the day. It is amazing the power our minds have to alter our perception of a day. I’m pretty sure that nothing changed today except me. The weather stayed gloomy and cold, my kids did their thing, even the dog stuck to her routine. But I was changed, I found peace, under the shelter of God’s gentle but mighty wing. Even in what feels like chaos, whether everything you planned for the day worked out or not, He is there. You can trust that God will meet you right in the middle of your day to be your refuge and strength and to bring you peace.
