A SAFE PLACE

Today, I want to tell you about two wonderful women who, without knowing it, share a secret.

The first woman comes from several generations of fervent believers in North America*. She has dedicated her life to serve God and others. Since she was a child, she wanted to be a missionary. She has spent her life teaching the Word of God and serving hundreds of people far from her country.

The second woman has a very different life story**. She was born in a rural town in Central America. Her story has been interwoven with threads of bottomless pain and intense joy. With many mistakes to her credit, it was not until she was 50 years old that she began a deep and genuine relationship with God. Since then, she has shared her faith with everyone who crosses her path and has been an example to all who know her.

Both of them are in their 80s; and their joyful faces gracefully reflect the passing of the years. Beyond their gray hair and their history, what stands out when seeing them is their strength. They have navigated through life facing the storms with enviable courage.

One day, I decided to ask each of them what was the secret of their strength. To my amazement, they both unknowingly gave me the exact same answer. One replied: "I feel secure in God’s love." The other told me: “I am totally convinced that God loves me.”

The secret of their strength is the total certainty of God’s love for them. The love of God is, without a doubt, a safe place.

If we immerse ourselves more often in the depths of God’s love, our tense muscles will relax, and we would be able to smile again. If we take our eyes off our successes or failures and take a close look to all what God has done for us, we will feel more secure. If we silence the voices that predict a gloomy future, we could hear the voice of our Lord saying: “I have always loved you”. Jeremiah 31:3 GNT

There is no better medicine for our tired hearts than to believe in His Word and rest in the assurance that:

“… nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,

neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow

—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed,

nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God

that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39 NLT

© Astrid Gale

* You can read her full story in the book: And They Said, “They are Just Kids!,”

**You can read her biography in the book: “Dora´s Remarkable Journey. A Relentless Overcomer,”