Sheltered in His Arms

By Lisa Buffaloe  

"The call came late at night. 'One of the boys is missing… It’s Jack.'

"Hastily, I put on my coat and drove to the Boy’s Home where I worked as Executive Director. Rain and ice pelted the car, and the windshield wipers brushed away furrows of frost. The tires lost traction on a glazing coat of ice covering the bridge.

"The Christian home offered refuge and safety for the children. Surely Jack wouldn’t run away. He’s one of the best kids we have.

"I arrived at the home. Shielding my head, I dashed for the covered porch. Nothing had changed, the boy was still missing. Grabbing a slicker to put over my coat, I stepped back into the rain. Why would Jack leave? Where would he go?

"That week, Jack had been given a new calf by the ranch manager and told if he cared for the calf properly, the animal would be his. Had he gone to check on the calf?

"Flashlight in hand, I ran and slipped my way to the fenced area at the barn where the calves were kept. Icy rain slid down my neck as I searched for Jack’s calf. I climbed the fence to look farther and stumbled over a broken bale of hay. After spotting a crumpled coat on the ground, I reached to pick it up. My throat tightened as salty tears mixed with rain.

"Inside the coat, Jack lay asleep. His back to the rain, ice crystals forming on his jacket, he sheltered the only thing he had ever owned of value—a small red calf."

Years later, my dad continues to share this true story. Other than groggy and cold, Jack was fine. And the calf received the royal treatment with a bed made from bales of hay. Like Jack did his young calf, God wraps us tightly in His love, protecting us through the storms and cold of this world.

You are cherished by the God of the universe. No difficulty or problem will keep Him from your side. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4 NIV).

www.lisabuffaloe.com

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