… it started out as a beautiful sunny day, pleasing to experience, without warning it started pouring, it rained heavily, cats and dogs as they say over here. It was also cold and windy, so a cold, windy, blowy heavy rainy day it turned out to be.
I was on my way to work, I normally walk down to the train station. The walk is downhill, not too steep but sloppy enough to give an easy walk allowing the mind to wander around leisurely or seriously as the day may call for. I don’t mind the walk, because if the weather changes, there is a good bus stop/Shelter, well enclosed and watertight. It had very comfortable seats and relaxing music in the background. It also has climate control for when it is too hot or too cold. Usually I escape in there and forget any trauma outside and never emerge until all is calm. It is never crowded, just pleasant. I love my shelter! The thought of it makes the walking desirable. Sometimes on my way from work and going back home, I will pause to rest my legs in there, though the weather is acceptable, but because I am going uphill now, I find the little rest re-energizing.
But today was a different day, they had already put up the notice that the shelter was under going refurbishment so would be closed. I didn’t think much of it as the day started out sunny anyway. But when it suddenly started pouring, I was in a fix, I ran from doorstep to doorstep trying to get some shelter from the elements. Some people will not have me dripping wet in their doorstep and drove me away, others just about tolerate me but you can tell they prefer if I was not there, some were indifferent and just carried out like I did not exist. One was kind enough to let me in, but the seats were hard and the house was too hot. The weather subdued and I continued my journey, but the whole experience had distabilised me, as I walked down, I reflected on the role of the shelter in my life and what a stabilising place it had been, I took it for granted.
In life, some people are shelter and stabilising force to us and atimes we do not fully appreciate their presence, they keep us grounded and prevent us from dabbling in things we have no business dabbling in and connecting with those we have no business with. They stabilise us when the trial of life comes and when they are not there we wobble.
God is our shelter, shield and refuge, and we must learn not to put our trust in man, for his breath is in his nostrils. Our foundation must be deeper than man for man will fail not necessarily because he wants to but because he is built to fail from time to time. He is not invincible or infallible, he is mere mortal.
Hope in the shelter that never closes!
Beautiful Ivory 