Double Layered

A few days ago, Bill went to Menards to buy Levi some warm gloves to replace the worn out pair he had been using when he shoveled snow. While he was there, Bill also bought Levi a new stocking cap, and he picked up a pair of soft, warm, double-layered socks for me. It was cold and extremely windy last week, so I was glad to have some new warm socks.

I rarely wear shoes in the house. Bill considers this to be almost sacrilege, since he is never without shoes unless he is sleeping, and sometimes not even then. In the summer, I go barefoot in the house, and wear sandals outside. In the winter, I wear socks. Bill wears shoes and socks year-round, inside and out.

When the temperatures hover in the single digits, or even below zero, and the wind is blowing a gale, even our new furnace is unable to keep our house comfortably warm. We have decided that we need to replace our old, single-paned, west windows, which are original to this house, with new, energy efficient, double-paned or even triple-paned windows, so our house will be warm all winter long, regardless of the weather.

Like my new socks, our windows need an extra layer of protection to be effective in the coldest weather.  


For the last couple of years, we have been bombarded with devastating weather, as well as the troublesome threat of illness, stressful work and school conditions, and general disruption of normal life. In times like these, I think we all could use an extra layer of protection. Unfortunately, socks won't help much with this. Neither will double-paned windows.

As Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6-7, God is prepared to guard our hearts and minds even when we have good reason to feel unsettled about what is happening in the world around us: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hard times are good times to draw near to God, by praying and reading his Word, and spending time with people who are able to encourage us and point us toward God in everything we do. We all need the extra layers of protection that God is ready to give us.

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. 
Nahum 1:7

By the way, when Bill saw how much I liked the new socks he bought for me, he went back to Menards and got me two more pairs. God is like that, too. Because he loves us so much, he is ready to give us all we need, and even more, so we are prepared to face the hardships that lie ahead of us. The words of Psalm 91 explain this much better than I can:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 
For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings.
 His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. 
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday...

If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you.
No plague will come near your home, for he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 
They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone...
The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 
When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. 
I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." 

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