The Front Porch Swing

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ike most of the houses on Main Street, ours had a front porch swing.  I never remember our home without it and when the house got a fresh coat of paint, the swing did also. Zeb Ford built that swing and it weathered all the abuse we could dole out.  No matter what, that swing kept watch over our front porch and over us as well.

The swing was on of my mother’s favorite places of refuge.  On summer nights, she would finish cleaning the kitchen, fold the last load of clothes, and after attending to a few things in the yard, she would steal away for a few moments to the front porch.  The rhythmic groaning of the metal chain and the wooden slats indicated that mom was on the front porch just thinking, or reading, or taking in the closing of the day.

Sometimes we would join her and at other times she would ask us to let her have just a few moments alone as she distanced herself from the toil of the day and welcomed the calm and comforting coolness of the evening.  When we did join her we had good conversations or sometimes said nothing at all. We just watched as the cars passed by or listened to the whistle of a distant train as it steadily made its way up the tracks toward our home.

Many evenings, my brother and I would retire to our room for bed and as I lay there drifting toward sleep, I could hear that old swing’s creaking and groaning, and in a few moments I was safely and securely in the Land of Nod.  Mom was on the porch swing, keeping watch over us and the sweet and peaceful assurance of her presence removed all fear and worry from a little boy’s mind.

In Exodus 12 we find an example of God standing watch over His children, spending time, if you will, on the front porch swing of the House of Israel.  The night before the Exodus, when the first born of Egypt, as well as the first born of any house not having blood on its doors and lentils, was taken, God stood guard.

In Exodus 12:42 we read, “Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt…”  What a comfort this must have been for the Children of Israel.  All night, God kept vigil, looking out for them, protecting them, keeping them from harm.  Although death was all around them, He protected His own.

Has it ever crossed your mind that God still keeps vigil over you?  During the night while you are asleep, God is still awake. He does not sleep! In fact, the Psalmist tells us that God, who keeps Israel, does not slumber or sleep!  He is on the front porch, making sure that all is well and that no harm comes to those who love Him.

Do you know this peace?  Do you know the comfort of having God watch over you?  Spend time in His word and you will come to understand that in the darkness of the night, sometimes the creaks and groans you hear around you are nothing more than a reminder of God’s presence on the front porch swing of your life.  You can go to sleep, you can rest in peace, and you can dwell in safety because God keeps vigil throughout the night.  Is He on the front porch swing of your life today?