It was the spring semester of my senior year in high school in Oklahoma. My dad was in the Navy and had left for sea duty, shuttling between San Francisco and Japan. Mother had gone back to Illinois to care for my grandfather during the final weeks of his life. Seventeen years old, I was home alone.

Repeating Psalm 91

Although I would admit it to no one, I was afraid to go to sleep at night. I didn’t fully trust my little Chihuahua to keep me safe. Too ashamed to ask my friends to stay with me, I turned to the Lord for protection. Every night I repeated Psalm 91 over and over until I could peacefully fall asleep. Soon I had memorized this wonderful psalm. It has been a favorite ever since:

He alone is my safe place

We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him.

He rescues, protects, shields, and shelters

For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor.

I need not fear

Now you don't need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning. Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me. I will see how the wicked are punished, but I will not share it.

Jehovah my refuge

For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me. How then can evil overtake me or any plague come near?

Protection from angels

For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. You can safely meet a lion or step on poisonous snakes, yes, even trample them beneath your feet!

Rescue, presence, honor, salvation

For the Lord says, “Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in my name. When he calls on me, I will answer; I will be with him in trouble and rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a full life and give him my salvation

(Psalm 91 TLB).

God’s promise to His children

God has promised His children divine protection in dangerous situations if we ask Him. Frightening circumstances can be golden opportunities for God to show us His loving care and powerful protection.

Today’s prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for promising to answer me when I call to You, to be with me in trouble and rescue me. Help me not to waste time worrying about our protection but to trust You completely with our care. Amen.

Rudyard Kipling made up a story to explain “How the Camel Got His Hump.”

It seems that the Camel was a lazy beast who hid out in the desert one day to avoid the Man, who might give him some work to do. When anybody spoke to him, he wouldn’t answer. He just said, “Humph!”

What the Lazy Camel said

The first day the Horse saw him. The Horse was saddled and bridled. “Camel, come and trot with us,” he said. “Humph!” said the Camel.

Next day the Dog saw him. “Camel, come help us fetch and carry,” he said. “Humph!” said the Camel.

The third day, the Ox saw him. “Camel, come and plow with us,” he said. “Humph!” said the Camel.

What the Man thought

Now the Man thought that the Camel couldn’t work because all he ever said was, “Humph!”

So he gave the Camel’s work to the dog, the horse, and the ox. Were they ever mad!

So they found the Djinn of the Desert and complained, “We have to do all the Camel’s work. It isn’t fair. When we ask him to help, all he says is ‘Humph!’”

What the Djinn did

So the Djinn hunted up the idle Camel and asked, “Why won’t you work?” “Humph!” said the Camel.

“Watch out! You might say that once too often!” said the Djinn. “Humph!” said the Camel. And as soon as he said it, a great round Humph appeared on his back.

“There!” said the Djinn. “There’s your Humph! You have missed three days of work, so now you will have to live on your Humph for three days without eating.” And ever since then, the Camel has had a Humph – only nowadays we call it a Hump.

Kipling’s poem about the camel’s hump

Kipling wrote a poem to go with his story, and in my family growing up, we used to quote bits of it whenever somebody started getting irritable from too much book reading, TV watching or just sitting around.

The Camel’s hump is an ugly lump

       Which well you may see at the Zoo;

But uglier yet is the hump we get

        From having too little to do.

Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,

If we haven’t enough to do-oo-oo,

            We get the hump –

            Cameelious hump –

The hump that is black and blue!

We climb out of bed with a frouzly head

            And a snarly-yarly voice.

We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl

            At our bath and our boots and our toys;

And there ought to be a corner for me

(And I know there is one for you)

            When we get the hump –

            Cameelious hump –

The hump that is black and blue!

The cure for this ill is not to sit still,

            Or frowst with a book by the fire;

But to take a large hoe and a shovel also,

            And dig till you gently perspire;

And then you find that the sun and the wind

And the Djinn of the Garden too,

            Have lifted the hump –

            The horrible hump –

The hump that is black and blue!

I get it as well as you-oo-oo –

If I haven’t enough to do-oo-oo –

            We all get hump –

            Cameelious hump –

Kiddies and grown-ups too!

What the Bible says

Three thousand years ago, wise King Solomon wrote: “He who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys.” (Proverbs 18:9)

Today’s prayer

Lord, help me to find satisfaction in doing my work today. Amen.

“My leg hurts, Mommy,” whimpered 2-year-old Lewis Brown. His crying sounded like the fussing of a tired boy to busy Thelma Brown, shopping for groceries in Hazard, Kentucky with a new baby and her toddler Lewis. Later, though, as she put the children to bed, she noticed that Lewis was still complaining, and now he was limping, too.

Does my child have polio?

This was during the polio scare of the 1950’s, and thoughts of polio plagued Thelma’s mind as she fell asleep. The next morning, she made the long drive into Hazard to take Lewis to the doctor.

“Mrs. Brown, unless I make a painful spinal tap, I can’t tell for sure if the boy has polio,” the doctor told her. “Your family has already been exposed, so keep him away from others and make him walk. If he’s got the disease, that muscle must be kept exercised or he’ll lose it.”

”Probably”

Thelma guessed from the doctor’s words that he believed her son had the disease, but he felt Lewis could get better care at home than in the hospital in Lexington, 500 miles away where he would have to go if he was definitely diagnosed with polio.

It was a time of fear. Hospitals were crowded with polio patients, and people were afraid of catching the disease from them. Polio wards were so understaffed that polio patients had to care for each other. Those who were better, cared for those who were the most helpless.

Hard training for a toddler’s weak legs

For weeks Thelma forced Lewis to keep walking, crying inside herself as she did it. She hoped her seeming indifference to his pain would not leave a lifelong impression on her little boy.

Eventually Lewis was able to walk normally, but when he reached high school, the family realized that the polio had affected his arms. He was tall and fast and appeared at first to be a good candidate for playing basketball. His arms hurt too much, though, when he lifted them over his head, and he never was able to gain normal strength in his arms.

Years later, Thelma asked Lewis what he remembered about his illness. His only memory was about “the nice black man with the same name as mine who carried me up the doctor’s stairs in my stroller.”

A loving God and hard things

As Thelma reflected on this hard time in later years, she realized that God requires her to do hard things sometimes to exercise her spiritual muscles and develop her character, just as she made Lewis keep walking to exercise his physical muscles and avoid becoming crippled.

What the Bible says

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:7,10,11NIV)

Today’s prayer

"Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me enough to discipline and train me through life's difficulties. Help me to understand that You are using the problems in my life to exercise my faith in You and to make me a stronger and better person. Amen."