Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will trust in the name the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

The year 2020 was one heck of a year for me but not because of Covid-19 and all the ramifications of the pandemic. In 2020 both my husband and I found ourselves in sudden health crises, neither of which had anything to do with covid. In both situations everything was suddenly stripped away. Through these two trials I experienced the truths of Psalm 91 in different ways— God is my refuge and fortress, my shelter, my stronghold. I will trust in Him. I want to tell you a little about my story today.

Around two in the morning on January 6th, 2020 I was awakened by the sound of our dog jumping out of bed, her paws hitting the floor with purpose. I knew what she had in mind, I also knew that my husband was not going to be happy later that morning when he walked into the bathroom and stepped in it! So I threw the covers off and jumped out of bed to prevent this from happening. But my feet landed on two pillows I had put on the floor by the bed as I turned off the light that night. The pillows slipped from under me and I crashed to the ground in the pitch dark without breaking my fall with my hands, landing directly on my left hip. Instant agony —beyond any pain I had ever experienced. I could not move my little finger without anguish. The images on the tv of the whimpering little old lady who has fallen and broken her hip do not begin to explain the excruciating pain she endures because of the trauma. Praise God, Harry was home and could call 911 and get an ambulance to our house. But in the ensuing moments which seemed to go on forever, I had nothing. One minute I was minding my own business comfortably asleep in my own bed, the next I was in agony on the floor totally immobilized by pain. As I waited for the emergency crew I did not know what would happen to me. I did not know how long it would take for help to arrive, or if they could even help me. I only knew as I looked at my watch that also monitors my heart rate, it was getting lower and lower and lower. I remember looking up at the ceiling of our bedroom and saying to the Lord, “You are all I have. I cannot help myself. I commit myself to You.” And I meant that. I trusted Him to carry me through whether I lived or died. I didn’t know what would happen to me. I only had the Lord.

Those few minutes on the bedroom floor brought me to a new place. Something got really settled within me. I am different now. It was a hallowed time. The Lord was all I had.

Really when you think about it, He is all any of us have. We place our trust in so many things, our intelligence, our bank accounts, our friends who have influence, our doctors, the hospital in our town, you name it….but at some point everything we have can be stripped away, The Lord is all we have. And He is enough.

My story has a happy ending. I had a compassionate EMT crew who came quickly and were able to swaddle a sheet around my dislocated and broken upper femur. This maneuver helped the pain immensely. They also had some sort of a glider gurney that took me down our stairs without jarring bumps. I made it to the hospital ER which was miraculously empty. After many tests I was assigned a capable doctor who was able to get me into surgery by noon that same day for a total hip replacement. My recovery was speedy and uneventful.

I cannot guarantee that you will always have a happy ending, but I can guarantee that if you place your trust in the Lord and make Him your refuge and fortress, He will walk with you every step of the way through life. In the words of Psalm 91, He will guard and rescue you. He will protect and defend you. You will be safe, and when you come to the end of your days, He will take you safely home.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that only in you do we find true safety. Help us to seek You, to call upon You, to abide in You and trust You. Help us to make You our stronghold and refuge. Show us the folly of trusting in anything or anyone else. Thank You for Your faithfulness and goodness.