Our living room window has a bullet hole in it. The shot was aligned to hit precisely where Jan normally sits on our couch. The impact happened overnight a week or so ago, so we did not notice the bullet hole immediately. It had become as they say, “a cold crime scene.”

As a former detective, I did my research on where the shooter might have stood looking for any evidence of the shooter’s presence. To make the shot, the shooter had to be perfectly aligned with our window shooting through the pickets of our front fence. It might have been an errant shot not aiming at our home. We will never know.

This event reminded me once again of God’s ever-present hand of protection. I’ve had guns and knives pulled on me as a cop. Once a sniper shot at our patrol vehicle. I’ve had to run roadblocks on the mission field and once heard the voice of the Lord tell me to immediately turn around when an unseen mob was waiting with machine guns to do violence.

This event gave me a deeper understanding of what the Psalmist wrote, “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” (Psalm 91:4-5). The promises of God are protecting us. They are our armor and our protection.

The Lord caused President-elect Trump’s head to turn at just the right moment and at just the right angle causing a sniper’s bullet to miss its mark. Jan was not seated on the couch where she normally sits as an unexpected bullet impacted our front window. We can never be aware of all the danger surrounding us or even imagine that possibility. We must trust in the faithful promises of God or we will begin to live in fear and take on an unhealthy need to control our lives. That fear is a thief. Its purpose is to rob us of our peace. 

While discovering our vulnerability can cause us great concern, it can also become an opportunity to experience a deeper trust in God’s peace and His protection. The Lord is always present and always protecting us, no matter what evil comes our way.