Behind the Shield

"I don't want to go in there," Natalie said outside the door to one of the rooms in the aquarium. "It's full of sharks.""Oh, come on, Nat," said Hunter. "The sharks are behind glass.""It's perfectly safe," Dad assured her. "Hunter is right. Those walls shield you from the sharks. There's no way they can get out." Despite Dad's words, Natalie clutched Mom's hand as they walked in. On either side of the aisle, glass walls rose from floor to ceiling, and beyond the glass was a magnificent reproduction of life beneath the sea. Natalie felt like she had sunk to the floor of the ocean. Hundreds of glittering fish swam about, taking no notice of her. "Look!" she exclaimed. "There's a giant sea turtle!" Natalie stepped forward and watched with her face close to the glass as the turtle swam away. Then a dark shape emerged from the dim shadow at the side of the tank. It grew larger and larger as it swam toward her. "A shark!" screamed Natalie. She darted back as the creature glided by right in front of her eyes. She knew there was really nothing to be afraid of, but she was glad when they left the area.That evening there was a lot of excited chatter at dinner. "I still don't like those sharks," said Natalie. "They'd probably like to sink their teeth into us!" Hunter shook his head. "Shark attacks are rare because humans don't taste good to sharks. Attacks only happen when sharks mix us up with their normal food." "Well, I still felt better having that thick glass for protection," said Natalie."You know, God is like that thick glass," said Dad. "The Bible says He is our shield. When we face attacks from Satan or from others who want to harm us, God is our protection."Mom nodded. "Because Jesus saved us, we are always safe in His hands, even when bad things happen. He is always with us and helps us stand firm against Satan's lies. Didn't you feel safer with the sharks at the aquarium knowing there was a thick shield of glass?""Yeah," said Natalie. "That means I can be more confident in other scary situations knowing that God is with me as my shield!"–Ellen C. Orr