Safe

I performed a marriage this summer for the son of some of my oldest lifetime friends and his wife. How does one prepare to give a brief message on such a momentous occasion full of both joy and solemnity. Here is the gist of what I said.

All of us seek safety in life and relationships. The word safe has many applications. In baseball it means you're not out. In boating, it means you are in a safe harbour away from the storm. In banking, it means your money is ok. You put precious things at home in a safe. If we hear that a loved one has been in an accident, the first assurance we want is that they are safe, because in this and other ways, the world frequently is not safe.

Eleven years ago, my oldest son chatted with me before he proposed to his now wife. I asked him why he chose her. His answer was “I feel safe with her.” It was not necessary to ask a follow-up question. What could he add to that answer?

In relationships we will only share our darkest struggles and thoughts with a person we consider safe.

How do we become safe?  How do we help others be safe?

I think there are two steps. First, it starts with our Lord.  “Hold me up, so that I may be safe” (Psalm 119:117) Once we begin to experience a deeper relationship with our Lord we begin to relax as His love, acceptance, and grace envelop us. Indeed, we begin to experience that, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33.27)

Second, we are asked to pass this magnificent love onto others, “Love one another as he has loved us” says John. (13:34) What better place to be safe than with someone who accepts us and loves us as God does.

             As we learn to rest in these “everlasting arms”, may we also create safe refuges for others.

Blessings,   
Tom