by Rev. Aidan Moon
Finding Peace in Hidden Places
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“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1, King James Version
Growing up I was always drawn to places of refuge. In any story of adventure that I read, it seemed there were places along the journey where people found rest and rejuvenation. These were places of sanctuary – not necessarily places to live. Rivendell, from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, was a particular kind of place like this. I wanted to visit it. I wanted to step out of the grinding day-to-day and be refreshed. That longing never quite disappeared for me. Finding a hidden place to escape for a while is an ever-present desire.
On a retreat, I snapped this picture. It’s almost too small to see, unless you zoom in on the valley on the right side. But there is a sort of Rivendell place – a retreat center nestled in the mountains. I deeply value these times away, times of quiet and reflection and prayer.
But it isn’t these retreats that have been my truest refuge, though they have been a gift – rather, as the Psalm says, God is a refuge. He is the one who hides us under the shadow of his wings. He is the one who leads us by still waters, refreshes our souls. God is a source of refuge. If you are like me, you sometimes get anxious for a place of rest. But perhaps the best place to find that is in pausing the grind to be with God in prayer, in pausing once a week to rest and hear his Word, in being receptive to who he is. Perhaps we find our refuge not by escaping daily life, but by finding Sabbath rest within it. Getting away for a weekend can help – but in the long run it is the rhythms of life with God, receiving his loving-kindness, that truly restores us, fills us. Perhaps that is why Jesus tells us to find our own secret place to hide away when we pray. Rest and refuge, prayer and receiving God’s gifts. I am still learning.
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
