LIFESTYLE
A TASTE OF THE DEER STAND “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” – Psalm 32:7 written by Dr. Darryl Evans
After living almost three years in Florence, I can whole-heartedly say I am thrilled to be here. In the past, I enjoyed working in DC, and am grateful for my seminary studies in Los Angeles, but I love Florence. Several things impress me: The people here are industrious and show initiative. There are many intelligent and successful people in our community. South Carolinians are never pushed around. And even after commuting into DC and living in LA, people here are so, well, busy. Granted, May has graduation and the approaching summer – yet it is more than just today. We are always on the move. And, amidst “everything,” there is a yearning inside us for something more than just success. We cannot always put our finger on it. But we have a taste of it when we quietly sit in the deer stand. Or paddle down the creek. Or piddle in the garden. That’s why we keep going back to those things. Maybe even zealously so. What we seek is more than just a nice change from the hustle of the week. We escape. We can escape in different ways. We check-out in front of the screen; we drink; we gamble; we plunge ourselves deeper into our work; we tighten our grip of control. Escaping never quite fills the void. We know this, so we tell ourselves we simply need more of it. But it never works; it is like an artificial sweetener for the soul. What the human heart yearns for is not escape, but sanctuary. In this sense, DC is no different than Florence.
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VIPMagSC.com
June 2022
Escape tries to deny, stuff down, or cut ourselves off from our stresses and problems. Sanctuary is the place where we find the God who protects us from our troubles. Escape severs relationships; sanctuary provides space for them. Escape is fantasy; sanctuary is real. Escape is human-centered; sanctuary, Divine. Escapism is a shallow imitation of Sanctuary. It is only in the presence of God that we feel whole. In Psalm 32, the author tried to “refuse” the reality of the problems of his life. It felt like he was “wasting away” as in the “intense heat of summer.” It was only when he stopped playing the charade and admitted the truth to himself of his limits and brokenness that he found sanctuary. He called it, “my hiding place.” This is not escape because it is going to the very Source of Life; this is the place of praising God with others. “You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance.” The psalmist stopped checking out of life because he found Life. It is the place of being still; of being centered; of being grounded in Jesus. It is a place of healing and joy and praise. …Does that appeal to you?
