We all have special places of refuge – a quiet sanctuary, a peaceful meadow, a glorious forest, the mountains.  It’s a place we go when the world is just too much to bear – where we can hide for a while from the pressures of living – where we know we will find solace, comfort and encouragement.

When I need a moment to think or a time to plan or a place where I feel totally free from the cares of life, I like to get down and dirty.  My place of refuge is my garden.  Pulling out the weeds and the long tendrils which suffocate the good plants, helps me eliminate some of the negative thoughts I have about what’s going on in the world.  When I feel the soft earth in my hands. it gives me a sense of God’s eternal presence.

I know He’s everywhere, but for the moment, He’s in the earth and we are becoming closer as I push away the ugliness that has been left by rotting leaves and fallen branches – revealing precious new life.  It’s as if He’s right there with His promise of redemption.

We all have a direct connection to our most powerful, life giving God.  Even though we stand in awe of Him and deserve to be judged severely for our sins, He still remains our friend, our confidante, our protector, our Savior, our vine.  When we become grafted into Him, we are assured eternal life.  He puts so much value on the plants of the earth and the birds of the air, think of how much more He cares for us.

Where ever it is that you find peace, comfort and renewal, remember that God is there in the midst of it.  A mighty fortress is our God!