I was talking today with a precious friend and the most wonderful thought came to mind. My very favorite verse in the Bible is Proverbs 18:10. It says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (NKJV) Safety has been an important theme for me my whole life.
I’ve been very sad about the loss of my grandparent’s home. For my whole life that house has been a symbol of safety for me. I’m struggling with the fact that it’s been desecrated and disrespected by criminals and Mother Nature has had her way with it. My once safe place is now a condemned heap of rotted wood. My heart can hardly bear it. I’ve been feeling emotionally homeless and unprotected.
My husband is a history buff. He reads book after book. When we travel we almost always take in at least one historical site. In 2007, on our way to an American Chemical Society meeting, we went to the Antietam Battlefield in Sharpsburg, PA. The battle took place almost 156 years ago during the Civil War. It is the site of what historians say is the bloodiest one-day battle in American military history (1). While at the battlefield I encountered a tower. It was beautiful. The tower was built by the War Department in 1897 to provide a panoramic view of the battlefield (2). It is just shy of 60 feet tall. It was also built so people could study the battle. Hubby Guy and I spent a good bit of time in the tower. I took pictures from every angle and out every window. I’ve thought about that tower often.
My grandparent’s house was just a place on the map. It was a tiny, stick-built structure in Mississippi’s 6th largest city (3). It wasn’t fortified, spacious, or high-end. It was, however, tangibly familiar. Whatever life had to offer, I knew what I would find within its walls. It is the place where I felt safest in the midst of life’s battles.
When I compare the house and the tower a really important difference is clear. The war department built the tower because they needed height to be able to see the entire battlefield. To unfold what happened during the battle they needed a birds-eye view. They needed perspective. Figuring out life’s battles requires perspective too. I wish that type of perspective could be gained by building a tower. Unfortunately, that isn’t how life works. My grandparents’ house was more of a bunker on life’s battlefield. It offered some protection, but no perspective.
I meet with a small group of ladies. We were talking about our S.H.A.P.E. assessment. (4) It’s a bit of a guide for figuring out how all the different aspects of ourselves can help us live the purposeful lives we were created to live. I realized that I am more prone to look at life and approach it all through the filter of just my personality and experiences, basically eyeball level with life. That viewpoint is short-sighted. It’s like trying to build a house with just a hammer. More tools will lead to better results. I started thinking again about that tower. I thought about my life. I have been trying to study life’s battlefield from the perspective of the bunker. For me, that was an ah-ha moment! Where then can I get some perspective?
Again, Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (NKJV) When I think of a strong tower, I can’t help but think of the one the war department built in Sharpsburg, PA that struck my heart and imagination all those years ago. Through considering the man-made structure here on earth, I see clearer what the scripture means. Not only can I find safety in the Lord, but the very nature of a tower offers perspective as well.
Can I tell you how much safer it feels for me to study my battles from the safe and loving perspective of the confidence I have in the name of the Lord? I have run and will continue running to Him for safety and perspective. A bunker in this realm isn’t a bad thing but I’m best served to remember that the angel-eye view of my life will provide the best perspective for studying life’s battles. I’m freshly reminded that I will never be emotionally homeless or unprotected while clinging to Jesus.
(1) https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam
(2) https://www.nps.gov/places/antietam-battlefield-observation-tower.htm
(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meridian,_Mississippi
(4) S.H.A.P.E. is a registered trademark of Rick Warren and Saddleback Church
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