restorer of lost voices

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever. Psalm 121:5-8 (NASB)

 

The child drapes her arm around her daddy like an open collar, and powder pink sways in his bronze arms. Her sleepy gaze drifts backward to me and I smile with orphan envy. She is held secure in love. When I bow my head and break the bread and drink the cup, I remember and then I re-member.

When I was in first grade, my parents were missionaries in Africa; and so, I attended a boarding school. My teacher was a harsh disciplinarian, our fingers were either smacked with a ruler, or we were locked alone in a closet. And I learned to not ask questions.

At the end of the day, I ran and hid in the hedges because I was petrified of the mean dogs that lived on our compound. I felt safe and sound under the lush, green cover. So, I played with my twig friends and built stick boats and homes until our supper bell rang. Then I raced to get in line.

Years later, I slipped on the same powder pink as the little girl in the pew, and my mother pulled my hair up fancy. I set off for the garden with a skip in my bare feet, but gnarled hands refused to break their rhythm. When I failed to get more than a quick nod and a few mumbled words, I turned and walked away. Then I pulled the bobby pins from my loose bun. I was not seen.

I taste the salt of past tears and recall the hurt. Then my Abba Father declares His great love for me. Though I was dismissed and silenced, God has broken through my defenses. He tucks my tendrils in place with care. And He steadies my footsteps as I stand and sing, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”

My Savior has hedged me in with thorns, and He protects, defends, and preserves my life. He’s never forsaken me in my wounded and weakened state. I too am kept by love. And so, He calls me to rethink with mercy.

The same gnarled hands held my Jelly Bean close, and her dark eyes were as bright as the pink stripes and sun on her shirt. Her grandfather had hooked the worm on her fishing pole and helped her catch the bass and crappies on the lake. She beamed with joy. And so did he.

I am challenged to lift my eyes and to seek the good intentions of others. And God’s grace prevails. The creator of beauty will not rest until His restorative work is complete.

What is the Lord asking you to remember and re-member? The Keeper of your heart and soul is trustworthy. He protects and preserves your life from here and forever more.

Step up with His assurance,

Lily Mae