Garitas

I must confess, I'm not much of a beach girl. History, however...wow! One of the ports on our recent cruise vacation was San Juan, Puerto Rico. We visited the two fortresses in Old San Juan and I was fascinated with the garitas, or sentry boxes. I've included several pictures - the boxes, three of views out of one and a pic of M. and me. A sentry in a garita would keep watch and "detect attacks from foreigners".

In Scripture, there are many references to keeping watch. A few are Luke 2:8 where shepherds are keeping watch over their flocks on the night Jesus was born; Mark 14:34 (and Matt. 26:38) where Jesus asks his disciples to keep watch with Him in the garden and Matthew 24:42 Jesus instructs us to keep watch because we don't know the time or hour of His return.

I reflected some more on keeping watch and an internet definition I found for sentry was "a guard posted at a given spot to prevent entry of unauthorized persons". As parents we are a sentry for our family, especially our children. While in our care we are posted in many "spots" to prevent the unauthorized entry of anything contrary to our family's Christian worldview.

This summer has been quite a time for Hubby and I as M & L's sentries. God has strongly shown us to be on guard. In normal every day situations, in culture, whenever we take flack for it, in unexpected times, as our boys are growing and making more of their own decisions and we teach them to keep watch - we have to keep guard.

I Peter 5:8, The Message: Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up.