You are My refuge and My Shield: I have put my hope in your word.
- Psalm 119:114
My Refuge and My Shield. The two very things we seek for. Sanctuary. especially these days with all the things that are happening around us. Earth is barely hanging on.
David found his place of refuge and his shield that he sought for in Psalm 61, overwhelmed with his struggles and his last grip of hope feeling far away from home and safety. We can all relate to David. Sometimes out of desperation, we all cry out just like David did, in the hope that there is some higher power hearing us out.
I know I have moments where it's just me against the world, A swimming battle against the eager current without any help. At these moments is when I resort to my refuge and my shield.
Finding your Sanctuary
1. Hope
Never lose hope. Hang on to it and don't lose your grip because, with hope, you will believe that things will only get better and with that promise, you'll gain the strength to stand tall and move forward. Stay positive! and stay hopeful! And trust that things will go uphill from there and believe me it can't get worst!
2. Home
Home is where the heart is. Home doesn't always mean the very place you live in. Home is a place of refuge, and it is a place or the person you want to return to over and over. Home is a story of who we are, a collection of things we love.
3. Meditate
Sometimes soon as you meditate through prayers, you find your inner sanctuary. Hence why many like David as feeling overwhelmed with despair resort to prayers and meditation seeking for answers and comfort. It is scientifically proven that meditation brings comfort. Through meditation, gaining inner peace will gain your inner sanctum.
4. Sanctuary
Have you watched the Disney animation "Hunchback of Notre Dame?" Esmerelda seeks for refuge and was able to find sanctuary at the Cathedral. We all have that place we call "Sanctuary". The definition of Sanctuary is "A calm and safe haven, a comforting place where you can relax and feel at peace away from the noise of the world around you." Sometimes the closest Sanctuary I can get to is my church. Soon as I step in, All the noise and chaos is silenced. I feel relief and safe like nothing can harm me.
5. One with Nature
Appreciating the purity of nature is one of my favourite form of refuge. Inhaling the fresh clean air provided by the trees or admiring the glittering sheets stars in the middle of the dessert. I'm at awe. Sometimes we need that get away from the City life, for calmness and quietness, a chance for us to hear our thoughts. It is a chance to detox from all the things that intoxicate us, our body, mind and soul.
6. Do what you love
Writing, reading, art and music is my form of refuge. I realized that blogging is my way of shelter hence why I began blogging. Reading fairytales and fictional comics transports me away from reality and surrounding myself with art and music brings sanctuary.
7. "Me Time"
Sometimes my "safety net" is my warm blanket wrapped around me in my bed, with a cup of tea and my favourite show on Netflix that I love to binge-watch. We all need some "Me Time." It is a perfect way to recharge yourself to gain the strength to overcome tomorrow.
"Me Time" = "Happy Time".
8. Loved Ones
Being in the arms of your loved one, or surrounding yourself with those you love could be the perfect shield. You couldn't feel safer when you have those extra arms for protection, whether it is your mother, your best friend, your boyfriend or your son. Love is a powerful shield; That is why David never stopped seeking refuge and safety through God because God never let him down, never stopped loving him and never failed him. Under his wings, he found his shield and refuge.
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