Shelter

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. – Psalm 17:8 (NIV) 

Have you ever walked through a church and counted the pianos? Chances are that in addition to the piano in the sanctuary and another in the choir room, you’ll find donated pianos all over the place: in the social hall and the library, in the youth room and the nursery, and at least one or two in the classroom wing. 

Which is why I was standing beside a beautiful, old grand piano when a mom came to retrieve her kids after the first day of Sunday school. She smiled and said hello as she entered the room, but her eyes were on the piano. “I can’t believe it’s still here,” she said.  

Then she explained that she recognized this very piano from her own childhood, back in the days when the church held a faith formation program for children on Tuesday afternoons. “When the earthquake hit,” she told me, “the kids were still here, waiting for their parents to pick them up.” As the earth started to shake and the walls began to sway, those kids and their teachers took shelter under that big piano. And because they had just learned a song to go with Psalm 17, they knew exactly what to sing as they sheltered there: “Keep me, keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me, hide me in the shadow of your wings.” They sang until the ground stopped shaking. They sang until their parents arrived and scooped them into trembling arms. And they never forgot those ancient words of comfort, or the piano that held them safe.   

Prayer
God of earth and sky, thank you for the ancient songs that tell of your abiding presence. Help us remember to pass your songs along to the ones who need them most.

About the Author
Yael Lachman leads contemplative retreats, outdoor worship, and art adventures for all ages, and is the pastor of Singing Creek Church of the Wild in California’s Central Valley. You can find Yael here.