5-year-old Ryder Killam of Westerly, Rhode Island, has spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair.  One difficulty that Ryder and his family have encountered is getting him to the bus stop in inclement weather.  To provide some shelter in such weather, the Killams tied a patio umbrella to a fence.  The umbrella doesn’t help much in a snowstorm, which is a frequent occurrence every winter in Westerly.

Ryder’s father, Tim, posted a message on Facebook that the family was looking for a bus stop structure to replace the patio umbrella.  A local school guidance counselor saw the post and encouraged the Killams to reach out to Dan McKena who teaches a high school construction class.  McKena’s class has constructed several things over the last twenty years that have benefitted the Westerly community.

When McKena received the request from Tim Killam in an email, he immediately looked at one of his students, Mason Heald, and said, “You’re designing a bus stop.”  Heald and 14 other students went to work.  After about a month of hard work, the project was completed.  The end result was a wooden, enclosed hut with two-windows.  The hut was also built with specifications that were compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The Killams added a heat lamp for the winter months.  Someone from the community heard of the project and donated a heated blanket for Ryder.  Now Ryder can wait for his bus warmly and safely in his shelter.  He has a shelter in the storms. *

You and I are a lot like Ryder.  We encounter difficult storms in which we are defenseless and unprotected.  The greatest challenge we face is due to our own sins that make us weary, heavy-laden, and lost.

In the midst of the storm, Jesus calls out to us: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

“The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.”
-- Vernon J. Charlesworth

Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we can be forgiven of our sins and find shelter in a relationship with God (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).  In Christ we enjoy spiritual blessings in this life and eternal life to come (Ephesians 1:3; Romans 6:23).

God provides eternal refuge to those who submit their lives to Christ in trusting obedience: placing their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin and provide refuge for those who continue to follow His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Jesus says, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the Rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

Jesus is the Shelter in the time of storm.  Go to Him to find refuge and rest.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “High school construction class builds bus stop shelter to protect student who uses wheelchair” by Daniella Genovese of Fox News, www.foxnews.com