In the freshness of new love, I bounded in from a date and exclaimed to my mother, “He is so wonderful! I just feel so….safe….with him.” My sweet mama just smiled, and said, “I think that’s a good sign.” Eighteen years later, I still feel so protected with my head nestled close to his chest and his arms around me. Because I know that anything, anyone wanting to hurt me, will have to go through him first.
Before my husband took over the sometimes arduous job of keeping me safe, my daddy filled the position. He is a mild-mannered guy and a great listener. That’s what has made him a good pastor for about 40 years now. But, just a few times in my life, I’ve seen that look on his face. I’ve never once heard him raise his voice, and I’ve never seen him allow his righteous anger to get out of control. But I’ve watched him when it was necessary, and I read it in his face, “I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep my family safe.” We just knew that anything, anyone wanting to hurt us, would have to go through him first.
We like to sing the hymns about Jesus and how He carries us gently, keeping us safe from all harm. I love the thought of Jesus taking me in His arms and just resting there because I know He has everything under complete control. But, sometimes I ponder, just why am I safe with Jesus?
The truth is, I can only be truly safe if I am protected by a dangerous God. We don’t like to think about that side of it much. No one ever wants to admit to being His enemy, so no one wants to talk about how dangerous He is. Yet, I would not be able to rest in my husband’s arms without the full assurance that if someone tried to threaten my safety, that person would be very, very unsafe.
I love this quote from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe:
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
And that is why I serve Him. I am safe. Because He is dangerous. But all the while, He is dangerous, He is good. And while I am in His arms, I know that anything, anyone wanting to hurt me, will have to go through Him first.