Hedge of Protection

So day +6 here in Nashville and things are going well. My mouth has given me some trouble and been really sore so I've been limited to eating soft things, but it hasn't been too bad! My counts have bottomed out and I am getting regular blood transfusions to help out. I definitely feel better afterwards and tonight I feel great! I'm still walking two miles everyday and am looking forward to my counts starting to go up hopefully by the end of this week!

The other night we were riding in the car and were on a pretty busy highway. There was a row of square-shaped hedges along the road and I noticed several birds darting in and out of them.

They worked their way down the road coming out and then quickly darting back into the safety of the hedge. They did this all the way down the road until they reached the end.

I was fascinated watching this. Everytime the birds left the hedge the quickly saw the danger of the world outside and darted back in. The only way they could journey on was to dart in and out like that.

As I was watching this, the words "hedge of protection" popped into my mind.

Growing up in the church, this is a phrase I've heard often and even prayed for often, but it finally hit me what it means! Those birds were safe under the cover of that hedge. Just inches outside it were whizzing cars and the dangers of the world. I thought about what it must be like inside that hedge. No doubt lots of critters find safety in there. The leaves probably shield some of the noise and offer protection from the sun.

This protection is what God offers us. I have prayed during this journey many times for protection. I've asked God to protect me from the harsh side effects of chemo, from the long-term side effects of transplant, from the hurt and doubt of disappointments, from the discontentedness and impatience in my heart. And God is faithful. He wants to protect us. It's what He does.

I found probably the most beautiful piece of scripture while looking up "hedge of protection."

Take a moment and read Psalm 91.

Psalm 91 (New Living Translation)

¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
⁸ Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished. ⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! ¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation."

Isn't that amazing! God loves us so much. And now I have a visual. He is our creator, our provider, our healer, and our PROTECTOR! Thank you Lord for this.

In my situation it is so easy to "dread the disease that stalks in darkness" but I don't have to. The Lord has healed me and will complete what He has begun. He is my hedge of protection and I will gladly find refuge there.