Pondering Hermit Crabs

Several weeks ago my friend Eileen posted a comment saying that one of her family’s hermit crabs had escaped...without its shell, mind you! 
(I immediately imagined the shell-less creature curled up in a corner dehydrated and, unfortunately, deader than a doornail. Kind of like a spider that has “bit the dust.”) I followed the ongoing saga for several days, but alas, the naked critter was never found. The truth is, hermit crabs, without shells, are extremely vulnerable and they don’t last long.

Which brings me to this morning’s revelation. This is how God most often speaks to me...not when I am expecting it, but sometimes when I least expect it! All of a sudden, in the midst of my early morning, still-dark-outside, quiet time...deep into the Word and pondering His Truths, God reminded me of that hermit crab...naked, alone, exposed and helpless. The revelation was how much we (I) can be like a hermit crab. There you have it. Wasn’t that profound?

Okay, here is the issue...I have issues! Oh, please believe me when I tell you I am working on them and I certainly have a lot fewer than I used to! You see, I am determined to travel this journey of life emotionally and spiritually healthy. That means I am on, what seems like, a never-ending and ongoing process of dealing with “my stuff.” And I’m okay with that-as long as there is progress and as long as He is leading the way. (I know I can’t do this by myself...that’s what lead to the issue of issues to begin with!)

So here is my “hermit crab issue.” I need security. Let me say that again, with more emphasis, “I desperately need security!” I believe this is, most likely, a result of MANY years of living under a spirit of extreme and paralyzing fear. Blessedly, God miraculously delivered me from fear in 1998, but still the need for security persists. 

We all have a certain need for security; It is one of our very basic needs as human beings. But, for some of us, and I think women especially, there is a heightened need to be secure and to feel safe and protected. It’s why when I watch a movie like “The Patriot” or “Braveheart” or “The Last of the Mohicans” I tend to concentrate on finding a place to hide in the story. (If I were there, living then, experiencing that, where would I go to hide, to be safe? I can’t enjoy a movie that offers me no escape!) 

The same is true off the screen, in real life.  But, what I have discovered in life, is this;  all the “safe people” and all of the “safe places” in one’s life can be totally destroyed. They can become unsafe people and unsafe places. The one’s you thought would protect you can even become the enemy and your hiding place can become the scene of your worst nightmare. 

And so here is how I am finding divine healing for this major issue in my life. It began with the realization that there is only One truly safe Being and ONLY in Him and in His Presence will I ever find the security, the safety and the protection I need. And, here’s the bonus! I can find that even in the midst of chaos and trial and tribulations of all kind. 

One of the most helpful things I have found to bring healing to this profound need of mine is this... I keep a “Security Journal” of sorts. Then, when I find a scripture that gives me a picture of a “safe place” or an element of security that speaks to me, into the journal it goes. The scripture is also highlighted, usually in pink (for me), and a small star is placed beside it. (You know He knows each star by name and He knows me too!)

Believe me, there is nothing quite so secure as finding Him to be your High Tower, your Dwelling Place, your Refuge, your Rock, your Shelter. He is my Covering, my Shield and my Protector. That beats anything else the world has to offer!  I have my own real live, everlasting and incredible SuperHeroSupreme! Here are some of my favorites. 

Find security here....                                                      

Psalm 125: 1-2 "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people both now and forevermore." 

Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings."                                                                                       
Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"                                                                                                                 

Isaiah 40:11 "He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young."                                                                                                                          

Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance..."