A Shield of Love

"For you bless the godly, O LORD, surrounding them with your shield of love."

Psalm 5:12

The above verse has had a special meaning for me in the past several weeks.  I was directed to it through one of the devotionals that I have been reading and the phrase "shield of love" stuck with me. Many times at night when I pray with Adam before I leave him to go sleep at the hotel I will just say a simple prayer and ask God the Father to protect him with His shield of love. Yesterday that phrase took on a whole new meaning for us.

Last night our church family hosted what they called "The Polson Encouragement Cookout" for us and we were beyond blessed!  Several dear families and ladies in a serving unit prepared delicious food for anyone who wanted to come and bless us with their love and encouragement.  Craig, Zach, Katrina, Anna and I were all able to be there and experience the rich fellowship of our faith family. To say we were blessed does not do the word justice.

Then when we got home we opened up the many cards and notes that people had left in a box for us at the cookout and we were left speechless by the generosity and love that was expressed in them.  To just say thank you would be such a feeble offering for such extravagant love and yet it is the very heartbeat of our souls--THANK YOU, NORTHRIDGE FAMILY!!!

I especially was humbled by our church's outpouring of love for us because I will admit here that there have been times over the past few years that I have felt distanced from the fellowship of believers.  Just the many miles we live from our church alone makes it difficult to always "feel" included in the mission and fellowship of church life.  Also, we have not been involved in a small group for YEARS and that has taken its toll on me.  That, together with some other personal mid-life issues has sometimes made me feel like I didn't "fit in" at my own church.

But God is good and His people are the flesh and blood of His heart wherever they live.  We experienced this 17 years ago when Adam had his liver transplant and here we are needing to learn it all over again!

Last night I got to spend time with many people--some are very close friends, some were people I am just getting to know better and some are people that we don't see except at church but who are friends just the same.  I also met some people that I had never been formally introduced to before and yet they were there loving us because of Jesus.

I mentioned to a few people last night that when I come home from being with Adam at the hospital I feel a bit shell shocked.  When I first get back in the area if I run into you somewhere I may seem like I don't know how to talk or what to say.  Honestly, it is hard to transition into the real world of life after being cooped up in the bubble of a hospital setting.  Many of you know exactly what I am talking about.  That is probably why this blog is the best way to express what is going on with us.

Our pastor and friend, Charlie told us not to try to write individual thank yous to all of you who came out last night but to just thank you corporately.  I hope that those who came out will understand that and that you will know that we are SO appreciative and humbled by your generous gifts and words of encouragement to us!!!!  THANK YOU again!!

For everyone reading this blog (which I found out last night is a lot more people than I ever imagined) we thank you for your prayers which are more precious than gold to us!  Some friends I knew long ago in a lifetime far, far away had a son who was seriously ill and they said that the prayers of people were "the energy we walk on" and we have felt that same sentiment to be true for us.

Thank you, fellow believers, for being God's SHIELD OF LOVE for us!!!!