How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7 (NIV)
It’s a phrase we use. “To take someone under our wing” means to take care of someone is such a way that you pay close attention to them, teach them, pull them in close… It denotes a transfer of wisdom and protection. Like a devoted parent to a child.
It’s a beautiful sight seeing a bird cover their young with its wings. Wings that soar on the wind, that can take a bird to great heights and swoop down to the ground, that stretch out and contract in. These wings look small when folded against a bird, but think of the eagle when its wings expand outward, how these unassuming flat limbs stretch out into beautifully strong wings. As they cover their young them, their children find rest, comfort, protection and strength… refuge. Close to their mother, her children lean in, hear her heart beat and her steady breath. They fall asleep and rest to the rhythm of assurance and hope. Whatever is beyond these wings cannot harm them as the nestle in.
How beautiful that God looks after us in this way during seasons of our lives where we need nurturing
But these wings that cover baby birds are the same wings that push them out of the nest. In some seasons of our lives, God pulls us close, takes us under his wings so we learn, grow, find comfort and warmth and regain our strength. But after a time, He lifts his wings and nudges us out. Not on our own, not to be left defenceless, but confident that we have what we need to fly. A beautiful line from a poem written by Erin Hansen says,
“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
“What if you fly?”
God has pulled me in close so many times, like a bird with its baby, covered me with His soft feathers and nourished me with rest. But in this place of closeness, we grow. We gain strength, wisdom… our bodies are energised and our spirits rejuvenated. The very purpose of our rest is to prepare us for flight.
“Those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles…” Isaiah 40:31
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