Safety

 “An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.” Psalm 33:17

“The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31

PPE (personal protection equipment) is not only not required in Indonesia; it is incredibly rare to see. Men will balance precariously on a rickety ladder or bamboo scaffolding in bare feet or only wearing flip-flops, with no safety harness. They weld or cut metal with no safety glasses. And every time we brought a child’s car seat to put into a taxi, the driver popped the trunk, thinking it was extra luggage. However, the most bizarre experience happens on Asian airplanes. You are given a seat belt for on-lap infants, which has a loop to attach to your seatbelt. I was given one for my 2-month-old, who was far from being able to sit up. We mentioned to one stewardess that where we come from, we do not use seatbelts for infants on lap. She was scandalized and wondered how they were kept safe. Yet in these same countries, children ride on parents' laps in cars and motorcycles, without car seats or helmets. Such irony. 

And yet, regardless of what we can do or not do for safety, as Christians, we recognize that, ultimately, our safety is of the Lord. We truly are immortal for as long as God has plans for us here. In Acts 17:26, we read, “(He)hath determined the times before appointed.”

I will still do what I can to be safe, but it is comforting to know that I will only die in His timing and not before. For true safety can only be found in the Lord!