Under His Wings ~ A Gentle Moment
We drove along a familiar road when Jon asked me if I’d seen the Giant Canada Goose in the ditch. I’d missed her. He knew I wanted to see her and that it would be a blessing to me so, he turned around.
When we parked on the side of the road, her head was up, but she quickly lowered herself over her nest. No hissing. No flapping of angry wings. No honking to her mate for help. She protected this year’s young with all of herself.
I wished she could know I intended no harm, but that mama was taking no chances. Her courage and determination filled my thoughts for several miles.
We were in her vicinity for only a few gentle minutes, but her action lingers in my heart. I knew God had an under His wings lesson for me.
I read verses (listed at the end of this post) about being under God’s wings. In recent months, Psalm 91 has ministered to my spirit even more than before. Especially verse 4.
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Since we saw the mama goose, I’ve often thought of a little rooster on the island of Kauai. There are free-roaming chickens all over the island. Besides the ocean, some whale sightings, watching sea turtles in the wild, and waterfalls, this little bird is one of my favorite memories or our visit.
A little girl was feeding a group of chicks pieces of her cookies. I’d noticed the clouds gathering over the ocean but was charmed and distracted by her and them. Especially one little rooster who kept getting closer and closer to the girl. I saw her face change when she noticed – she fell a little bit in love with him.
Just before a roll of thunder, the mama chickens watching the cookie party made clucking sounds. Most of their babies obeyed the call to safety, tucking themselves under their mother’s wings. The only holdout was the little rooster.
When the girl’s mother called her to the car, she resisted. She begged and bargained, trying to convince her mom to take her new friend home on the plane.
Big drops of rain started to fall. The mother chicken clucked again, and the human mother reasoned with her daughter about airplane rules and hurting the mother chicken’s heart by taking her baby away.
Thunder boomed this time halting the youngster’s arguments.
The girl ran to her mother’s car, and the rooster ran to the protection of his mother’s wings.
I knew God had a lesson for me because of the yearning in my heart. Shaking it off wasn’t an option.
Finally, the lesson came. Full of His grace and power.
Those feathered mamas could only protect their young for the season they fit under their wings, but the protection of God’s wings is eternal for everyone who has made the Lord their dwelling place. (see Psalm 91:9)
Under His wings, there is eternal room for everyone who believes in His Son, Jesus.
Is He your dwelling place?
Until Next Time,
Joy
- A blessing found in the book of Ruth 2:12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”
- Psalm 63:7 For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings, I will sing for joy.
- Psalm 27:5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
P. S. I didn’t take the chicken and baby rooster picture – I found it on Pixabay.
I’ve always loved the word pictures God gives about his sheltering wings and soaring like an eagle, but this time the thunder caught my attention. Especially because of the little rooster who didn’t heed his mothers clucking. He made me think of those of us who are born leaders and are, so often, so focused on those we ourselves are watching over, that we don’t notice the clucking. Pointing out obvious dangers in front, to the sides or behind us, we may not have remembered the “wickedness in high places”. Thus, the thunder! Mama felt the change in the atmosphere and clucked a warning, but it was the thunder, unseen, but very real danger, that sent the little guy( and little girl) back to shelter. I’m so thankful that he gives us a second warning when we need it.
You are so right – we all need those warnings – first and second!