When I heard it, my heart broke.
I never thought I’d hear those words prayed by my children.
After all, Singapore and Toronto, where we come from, are ranked 1st and 3rd safest cities in the world.
“Dear God, please keep us safe when we sleep. Will you protect our home so no burglar or thief will enter. Amen and The End!”
I held my tears back. They knew.
Since arriving in Tanzania, we’d met more than a few friends with a near-burglary story to tell. Our home, hemmed in by mere bush hedges, are surrounded by dirt roads and village homes.
“You need someone 24/7 at your home, night guards and a dog.”
The more advice I got, the more dizzying my anxiety became. I never imagined a day when feeling safe in my own home would be an everyday wrestle. Every little sound in the dark kept Cliff and I hyper-vigilant.
Then one night, a breakthrough. A vision of angels, tall and broad, encamped around our home. At once, I had a revelation— while so many of us strive to maximize our own safety, the truth is that for all our best efforts, they can still amount to nothing.
We can push ourselves hard to boost our careers, only to be tanked by unexpected illness. We can boost our kids’ chances for success through investing in tuition, only to be shocked by spiritual waywardness. We can spend on dogs and night guards, only to still have a break-in anyway.
Psalm 16:1 and 7 say, “My God, keep me safe. I go to you for safety… You alone are everything I need, You make my life secure.”
I’m learning— while exercising wisdom is important, our safety comes not from how much money we make, how hard we push ourselves or our kids, or how many dogs we get.
Will we put our ultimate trust in God?
Perhaps, we do not fully appreciate how tenuous our lives truly are, how every security we enjoy in our lives are buoyed up by the abundant grace of God, every moment.
As I shared the vision and this epiphany with my kids, their eyes twinkled with the assurance of freshly minted faith.
More than the threat of security, was their assurance of a God whose angel armies are always by their side.
God is their watchman. They can close their eyes and sleep in peace.
They now know.