Check Your Brakes

I hope you've been enjoying this series on "The Armor of God". I've had lots of comments and opinions, leading to some great discussions! So now we're ready to move to the last piece of armor, the "Helmet of Salvation". 

A few months ago, one of our precious 14-year-old girls from church was over at a friend's house, and it was suggested they take a bike ride. Not having her own, she quickly borrowed one. not knowing that the brakes were not working properly. Everything was fine, until they started down a steep hill. Both kids began picking up speed, having the time of their loves.

Until she noticed a curve in the road farther down.

Brakes were applied, and nothing happened, except even more speed. What followed was a few seconds of panic, during which time she could only pray as she rode into a concrete wall.

By God's grace, an off-duty fireman was passing by. Actually, they're quite a few folks  who are convinced that he was a guardian angel. At any rate, he was there to provide the help she needed before the ambulance arrived. The long and short of it was that she broke her arm and almost every bone in her jaw and face.

But... and here's my point today... she was wearing a helmet. And not only a physical one. She was immediately surrounded by the whole Christian community praying, sharing, working in so many ways to insure that both she and her family had all the support they needed.

In three weeks (with a short break between surgeries to come home for Easter), she walked out of the hospital. Everyone was astonished because she has healed up so well that no one looking at her would realize what she had endured. She serves on our church's music team, and every time we look at her, seeing the joy in her face, we're reminded of God's mercy and grace. She continues to be a real blessing to us all.

So... it's interesting isn't it? When physical trauma comes your way, you can lose arms, legs and spleens, but your head pretty much has to stay intact. The armor we've been talking about these last few weeks has covered our body's vitals, but when it come to our capacity to think, make our muscles move, our eyes to see ... so much of that depends on keeping the HEAD on good shape.

And my Bible syas in Ephesians 6:17, "Accept salvation as a helmet." I don't know of a child out there who gets his first little scooter bike and looks around for a helmet. His PARENTS require that he wear one. They make the decisions that keep him safe.

I think it's the same with this "Helmet of Salvation". We didn't ask for it, we didn't know we needed it; but Romans 5:8 (one of my absolute favorites) says, "But Christ commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

We didn't ask for it. We didn't remind God how much we needed it. He just sent His Son so that we'd have it.

Now I need to remember that I'm protected. Inside my head today, there may be some fear and panic when I think of the state of the world, but inside my helmet of salvation, I know I have God's heart.

And that makes all the difference.

Stay safe,

Marsha