moving house

Retreat thoughts 2

Retreat means to hunker down but it also means to go back. To return to another place. I retreated from Belfast to Kerry in March. I moved from the uncomfortable to my comfort zone: cocooned with family, ensconced with Lorelei, my dog. My physical refuge is Carker.

My real refuge is in the shadow of His wings.

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 57:1

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 63:7

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

There have been times in my life where there was no refuge, no retreat space, no place of safety in the physical sense. Part of my journey with Jesus has been about letting go of these places and moving into the House of Trust. When I moved into the Kingdom of God, I did so tentatively. I checked the walls, the doors and exit signs. I couldn’t let go of my self sufficiency and so had one foot in and one foot out. It took time to go all-in-all to the Kingdom. It was never shaken by my unbelief, The Kingdom stood as I doubted.

The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

A lifetime of feeling worthless I was overwhelmed by His love. It took time to be able to say and know: I am one in whom Christ delights and dwells. In the abundance of His love I can be. It is no longer just me but He is with me in all of my everything. He is the centre of my life. Jesus is with me, always.