I am drawn to old, abandoned structures. They exude a quiet dignity despite their fading paint, leaning porches, and unkempt appearance. The structures often have an odd architectural feature born of the need to house a growing family in an attic space tacked on the roof of the house. I notice the windows in this photo have shutters that are considerably newer than the rest of the building. Were the shutters added as a last ditch effort to “dress up” the place or perhaps a venturesome soul placed the shutters as the first step for a rehab.
Because I’m a bit of a dreamer, I imagine spindle chairs with tattered cane seats sitting on the porch beside an old wooden side table carefully placed for lemonade or iced tea to be enjoyed after a hard day of work. Perhaps this is where a middle-aged couple sit and wonder if their efforts to make a living from the land are worth it.
When I travel, I enjoy sitting quietly while I exercise my “people watching” skills. All kinds of people pass through my field of vision, but those who sit alone and slump with fatigue and weariness with their luggage and sacks of snacks remind me of the abandoned buildings. These people are barely standing and are struggling to function, yet they do their best to fit in with the busy world around them. I see a quiet dignity in the effort they make.
In Psalm 16, David is feeling a bit down and struggling with abandonment and sees that the Lord continues to be with him and give him encouragement.
Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
I’m encouraged to know that in spite of how I may drop my head and shoulders in weariness and cast down my eyes in defeat, and even if I feel a deep sense of abandonment in my spirit, God gives me hope, restores my dignity, and He is always with me.
Simple Faith 