Under His Wings

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I used to work in a large office building that was surrounded by an expansive parking lot. Frequently, my husband would meet me for lunch, and we would drive to the outer edge of the parking lot to enjoy our usual lunch of cheese and cold veggies. One day, we noticed a Canada goose sitting on her nest. The nest was located, not on the soft grass on the periphery of the parking lot, but on the median strip that separated two traffic lanes.

Day after day, we observed the mother goose as she patiently sat on her eggs, keeping them warm and waiting for them to hatch. Eventually, the little goslings did hatch and, despite cars going by just a few feet from the nest, their mother kept them, safe and secure, under her wings. They had no worries. Mom was protecting them from the elements and passersby.

Recently, I was praying for friends who are going through a rough time, and the thought came to me that our friends are under God’s wings. It brought to mind a story that my father-in-law, a pastor, used to tell about a woman who was abducted by a man who clearly intended to do her harm. Recalling the promise in Psalm 91:4, which reads, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge, his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart,” the lady screamed, “Cover me with your feathers! Cover me with your feathers!” Her abductor, thinking she was crazy, immediately released her.

The woman wasn’t crazy, and, despite her inability to quote the verse perfectly in such a stressful situation, God answered her prayer.

Just as baby birds nestle under their mother’s wings, safe from outside intruders and dangerous storms, we, too, are protected by God, under his wings. So, like the woman in the story, I cry out to him for my friends: “Cover them with your feathers, Lord! Cover them with your feathers!”

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