Sanctuary

I sit alone on the 6th floor. Coffee cup in hand. The morning traffic below is constant. People trying to get to work, children to school. Horns are honking. Mufflers need tune-ups. A cacophony of sound. And in this city where Elvis is king, I read:

The Lord is King; let the people tremble; He is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth shake (Ps. 99:1).

A phone rings outside my door. The voice is loud -- as is the one on the other side of the connection. Plans are made. Directions for the day are set. A voice calls out, "Wendy!"  And I read:

Save us, O Lord our God ... that we may give thanks to Your holy Name and glory in Your praise (Ps. 106:47).

In the bitter cold of snow, workmen yell from 2 stories below. Lumber is thrown. Drills are powered. Work begins. And I read:

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of Him (Ps. 33:8).

Colorless concrete buildings rise stoically outside my window giving voice to the icy conditions in which they stand and stark reality to a world that is of itself cold. And I read:

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but stands forever (Ps. 125:1). 

Bundled commuters scurry along the sidewalks. Wind chill reads 12 degrees. Scarves are pulled tightly across the cheeks. Hats lowered below the ears. And I read:

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty (Rev. 1:8).

And I read: "At this moment, Lord, I turn my thoughts to You. I leave aside my preoccupations. I take rest and refreshment in Your presence."

Sanctuary.

Just an ordinary moment...