Walled In

09.10.11

Lamentations 3.7-9 7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains. 8 Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. 9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked. NIV

If you know me or know the people who know me, you’d know that walled in is the way I have felt about living in Baker City, Oregon. Baker is not a bad place as places go – I actually like it here. But it seems Baker City (or Baker as we call it) is where I am to be, period. As a family we have lived in many different places and have always felt a certain freedom to live where we pleased (within certain limitations: employment, etc.) But we have lived here in Baker 5 years and 11 months; that’s the longest amount of time we’ve lived anywhere – (btw: 4 months was the shortest…Roseburg – that’s another story).

I think about Jeremiah’s words and feel a certain kindred-ness with them. I’m sure Jeremiah would’ve rather been someplace else than witnessing the overthrow of his country and the deaths of thousands upon thousands of his fellow countrymen. I’m sure Jeremiah would’ve rather not gone through what he went through. And when he wrote what he wrote, “He has walled me in so I cannot escape…” I’m sure he meant what he wrote – there was no place else for him to go under God’s mighty hand.

I look at my circumstances and what has taken place in my life over the last 5 years and 11 months. I’d rather, many times, been someplace else – but there was never any place to go; no open doors of opportunity. I have felt walled in – trapped. I’ve not seen the overthrow of my nation by an invading army yet, nor have I witnessed thousands of my countrymen slaughtered; but I am witnessing the collapse of my culture. And I am seeing countless lives rendered useless by the inane pursuits we as a nation have embraced. The divorce rate hasn’t slowed; abortions are as numerous as ever; and now human-trafficking has emerged in the most non-suspicious areas of our nation. Emotions are running high and people are scared. I don’t know what to expect, except…I sense I get to witness it all from behind the walls of my existence here in Baker City.

When God walls us in, He always does so for a reason, and surely for a season. This is the season to trust Him and remain faithful despite the walls I feel are surrounding me. I’m not seeing any bright spots to flee to even if I had the opportunity too. I am trusting Him, and hunkering down right here until He gives the order to go somewhere else. And I am to represent Him faithfully until He does… the walls are there for a reason – amen?

Father, despite what I feel, I realize that Your presence is the safest place to be. Help me as I trust You here in Baker City and look for Your hand upon all I do here. You always do what you do for my best and for Your pleasure – may I remember that. And may I recognize that though the walls look like walls, may I see them as the outline of Your mighty hand safely keeping me and guiding me to do as You direct. Amen.