I love you, O Lord my strength,
O Lord my stronghold, my crag and my haven.
My God, my rock in whom I put my trust,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, any my refuge;
you are worthy of praise. Psalm 18:1-2
My shoes are nowhere to be found. This throws off my tightly planned morning, as time to hunt down missing items was not on the agenda. Bedroom, bathroom, by my desk, in the front hallway, under the couch, the closet. Nothing. This is most exasperating because I am the queen of finding things in our house. I have been known locate my daughters’ or husband’s misplaced books, keys, or cell phones without leaving the comfort of my favorite chair. I make the rounds again, and one more time. It becomes a mantra: bedroom, bathroom, desk, hallway, couch, closet. Nothing.
I consciously clamp down my exasperation before it rises to fury. I make myself choose another pair of shoes. I move on. Missing shoes seems scant reason for upsetting my entire equilibrium, but I am forever tempted to see disaster where there is only disruption.
But today will not be one of those days. Because while I search, another mantra runs through my head: strength, stronghold, crag, haven, rock, shield, refuge. Words from my morning prayer. How can I not rejoice when God offers me so much?
Strength. Stronghold. Crag. Haven. Rock. Shield. Refuge. Love. I choose Strength. I choose Love. I choose God.
Copyright Anne E. Kitch 2014
