Refuge
By Tracy Smith
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.”
Psalm 18:2
As I reflect on 2011 and what aspect of God was revealed to me most often, I would have to say “God as my refuge.”
When I was 17, I was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). While it was good to have a name/reason for the intrusive thoughts and behaviors that had plagued me for the past eight years, it was also scary, since there is no “cure” for OCD…only management.
Through the years, the symptoms have waxed and waned. Sometimes the OCD is only there in the background and not interfering with my life, and sometimes it is there 24/7, pounding at me mercilessly.
Early in 2011, I was asked to speak to a group of women about my OCD - - what it had taught me about God. That was a frightening thing for me as OCD is not something that I have shared about easily, so very few people in my world were aware that I had it. However, I had been praying for years for God to use my OCD in some way for good and for Him, so I knew my answer had to be “yes.”
Immediately after saying “yes,” the spiritual warfare hit and my OCD symptoms skyrocketed into “very interfering” territory. In the months that followed, I learned that I could always count on God to be the refuge and place of safety that David wrote about in Psalm 18. I was able to wield the tools in my spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) more effectively than ever before. I had true friends I could talk to and a mentor/friend who prayed me through some of my most difficult days. I have a family that loves me enough to tell me the truth even when it's hard to hear. God gave me just what I needed (in so many ways), so while the storm raged around me, I was able to be anchored to Him. Isn't it just like our God to give me a new lesson to share with others?
As Christmas draws nearer, I am so thankful that our Lord chose to become human and that His sacrifice provided a way for restoration of the relationship between God and us. God as my refuge - - I wonder what aspect of God will be revealed to me in 2012?
GOING DEEPER:
1. What attribute of God have you seen most clearly in your own life this past year?
2. What can you do to be ready for what He’ll show you in this upcoming year?
FURTHER READING:
2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 92:2; Psalm 46:1
Along with being a wife and mother to two boys, Tracy is an administrative assistant at Oakwood, serves on the We Women Special Events Team, and leads a great group of Junior High girls.
