Shelter

For You have been a stronghold to the poor,
    a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
     a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

-Isaiah 25:4

I meant to reward myself with a day of knitting this yarn, but oddly enough shelter became the governing issue of the day, so the I-just-gathered-my-tax-stuff-and-then-filed-an-extension celebration time never happened.

Several months ago, the strangest thing started happening. Things, I should say. See, as eager as I am to get to my little place in the wilderness, stretch out a clothesline and begin planting roses, I can't. Not for the time being. God decided I needed to be right here, in this little red house just off downtown in the place I grew up. Since January, the house has been open to people with nowhere to go. And tomorrow, Renee comes.

Renee has grown children and used to have what you and I would consider a normal life, if there is such a thing. Then two years ago she was riding a horse and the unthinkable happened: she fell off. And her right leg poked into the soft ground when she fell, and she couldn't pull it out quite fast enough to avoid the trampling horse.

She lost the leg.

As if that wasn't traumatic enough for anyone, her husband decided he was less than thrilled with her new situation and took off. Fast forward to now, and we found her getting picked on in a nearby homeless shelter. Ladies who can't chase are easy prey for thieves and meanies, apparently.

She's coming to stay with me tomorrow.

Renee's the second person in as many weeks that's needed to access this house from a wheelchair. It's not the easiest house to do that in. So I spent the day dragging stuff around, rearranging, and worrying about what we'll do with the bathroom.

We'll think of something...

Oh God, You are my stronghold, my shade, and my shelter. Help me love You and Renee well.