約束された避難所

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

数年前トレーラーを購入して以来、夏になるとトレーラーキャンピングが恒例になった我が家。

近場のキャンピング場に2泊3日から始まり、バッファローから国境を越えてアメリカ・ボストン経由、メイン州から再びカナダに戻り、赤毛のアンで有名なプリンスエドワードアイランド（PEI）、ケベック州と、カナダとアメリカの東海岸をぐるっと一周、3週間近くのトレーラーキャンピングまで、いろいろ経験しました。

トレーラーを牽引しているので、車で走っているとき以上に悪天候が怖いです。風が強いと、ひっくり返る心配も出てくるし、大雨だとブレーキがちゃんとかかるのか、おっかなびっくりです。

なので、トレーラーキャンピング中は、良い天候になるようにお祈りします。北米東海岸を回った3週間近くのキャンピング中ももちろん祈りました！そして、お祈りにちゃんと神様は答えてくれました。

ボストン在住の4日間、天気予報によると大雨のはずが、良いお天気に恵まれ、ボストンを離れる日に雨が降り始めました。

PEIにいるときも一週間大雨注意報が出ていたのにも関わらず、キャンピング場が雨で水浸しになるくらい雨が降ったのも離れる2日前。

せっかくPEIに来たのに、海にもいけない、赤毛のアンのモントゴメリーさんの生家を見に行くのにも雨だと楽しさ半減 (以上？）と思っていたのですが、「いや、祈りで乗り切る！」と気を取り直すと、神は答えてくれるという自信がどんどん湧いてきました。

結果、ステキな思い出がたくさんできて、子供たちも今でも「また行きたい！」という言っているくらいです。

という「めでたしめでたし～」と言いたいところですが、実は初日、ボストンから一時間ほど離れているSpring Field という町へ向かう途中で後ろから嵐が追うって来ているのが一目瞭然でした。

そんな状況でも焦せりを見せず、動揺せずに運転する夫の肝がすわっているところも、わが夫ながらあっぱれと思う反面、心の中ではひっきりなしにお祈りをしている私がいたのでした。

ちょうどガソリンの給油も必要だったので、サービスステーションに入り、夫が給油している間、子供たちと私はトイレに行きました。出てきた時には、ものすごい暴風と豪雨で雨が横に降っていました。「今ここにいてよかったぁ」と心から感謝しました。

このトレーラーキャンピングでの経験のように、どこにいても何をしていても私たちが安全でいられるように、神は避難所を用意してあることを約束してくれています。

それは、物質的なものだけではなく、神は気持ち的にもマインドにおいても同じく、私たちが守られ、安心できる避難所を与えてくれます。

心配になったら、まず祈りましょう。「求める者には与えられる」という前回の投稿のメッセージになりますが、自分から積極的に求めていきましょう！

英文

It’s become our summer tradition to go trailer camping ever since we purchased one a few years ago.

To get our feet wet, we started from a 3-day trip to a nearby camping ground. From there, we eventually expanded it to a two-and-a-half week trip to Prince Edward Island (PEI) through Buffalo, Boston, Maine in the States and came back from Quebec, Canada. 

After we started to pull a trailer, we found out that it’s very scary to pull a trailer in bad weather. If it's windy, the trailer can flip. If it pours, you worry if the brake will work properly.

For these reasons, while camping, I always pray extra hard for beautiful weather. You bet I prayed constantly during our around-the-East coast trip last time. And without disappointment, God answered my prayers.

For example, although according to the weather forecast, it was supposed to rain during the time we were staying in Boston, we had beautiful days until the last day when we were leaving Boston.

In a similar way, as soon as we arrived in PEI, my husband delivered bad news of poor weather conditions for the entire week we were supposed to stay there.

As I listened to him, I started to get disappointed, thinking “We came all this way here and we might not even get to go to the beach? And if we were to visit ‘Anne of the Green Gable Meseum’ it’s not going to be fun if it rained…”

But I had to stop and remind myself to pray. Instead of being depressed, I need to cast my cares to the Lord. As soon as I started to pray, I felt more and more confident that God would take care of everything.

And He did! We were able to enjoy the beautiful weather while we were at PEI and it didn’t rain until the day before we had planned to leave PEI. 

 At that time, we had done what we planned to do at PEI, so we enjoyed a restful day in the trailer. It worked out perfectly as we were able to rest before having a 15-hour drive heading back to Quebec. 

The trip was one of our favorite ones and my boys enjoyed it so much that they all still say to this day that they want to go back to PEI!

I would like to finish this by telling you that everything worked out and that we never ran into bad weather, but that wasn’t the case.

Everything did work out perfectly, but we did run into bad weather here and there while driving.

On the first day, for example, when we were heading toward Springfield, about an hour outside of Boston, we were chased by a bad storm coming from behind us. When we pulled into a rest area, my boys and I went to the washroom while my husband refilled the car. When we came out, it was a downpour with wind blowing sideways!

I was so glad that we were not on a move at that particular moment! God has guided us to a shelter where we could be safe at the perfect timing! I can’t imagine what it would be like if we were on the road at that moment that day.

Our experience of God's protection during our trailer camping trip is just one of the many examples that God will provide a refuge wherever we are and whatever we are doing. 

If something comes up and makes you worry or anxious, pray for a refuge and protection. It doesn't have to be a physical shelter, but it can also be a mental or spiritual protection as well.  

To echo the article "Ask and You Shall Receive," take actions proactively towards God to ask, seek and knock!  He will never disappoint you.

Today's quote:
He is always available. He's always ready to help you.  He's waiting for you to call out to him.  (Carolyn Larsen)

Today's question:
Who is your help in trouble?