Reflection:
Recent events in my life have alerted me to two groups of people in need of refuge. The first group are families who have children in a major hospital for long term care, but who live far away in a regional area and have no family or friends nearby. Ronald McDonald House exists to provide safe accommodation for families in this situation, and members of our own family have been blessed by this facility. Our granddaughter spent many weeks in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and our daughter-in-law was provided with a room at the Ronald McDonald House on the hospital grounds. It was like a home away from home. This place is a refuge for families in distress, that provides care that is thoughtful, practical, and tender.
And the second group in need of refuge that has been on my mind? Babies born very prematurely. When our precious granddaughter was born at 28 weeks, she was put in a humidicrib, to try to imitate her mother’s womb as much as possible. It’s warm, she has a strip of fabric snuggling her, and there are these heart shaped pieces of fabric which took me a while to figure out their purpose. They are breast pads which the mother leaves beside the baby so she can smell her Mum. The parents have up to 4 hours of skin time with the baby and they are encouraged to talk to her as much as they want.
Psalm 34:18 tells us that the Lord is close to the broken-hearted. The care given to the families and babies I’ve described is remarkable, but God’s care is even more tender, more thoughtful, and more comforting. In his Son, Jesus, he has reached into the depths of human experience, all the darkness and all the pain, to bring rescue and redemption. One day he will bind up all wounds, heal every broken heart, and restore each damaged body. While we await that day, he remains our refuge in times of trouble, the one who stays close in the midst of our distress and who tenderly holds us in the palm of his hands.
Prayer:
Thank you, Father, that you are close to the broken-hearted. Help us to rest in your shadow today. You are my refuge and my fortress. I trust in you my God, for you are my Lord, my Saviour, my Redeemer. I know that your care of me is tender, filled with gentle yet ferocious love. I know that you will never abandon me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Song:
“Be Strong and Courageous” by Colin Buchanan