Under His Wings

“Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.”

Psalms 63:7-8 NIV

I love my chickens. I have a flock of seven and they are one of my daily joys. Last Fall, one of my hens fell ill and needed extra care to recover. I separated her and brought her inside. I needed to give her baths to treat her infection and I had to force feed her for a week because she was refusing to eat or drink. She was close to death for a few days but slowly she began to get stronger under my consistent care and attention.

After a week, I was able to place her outside again but kept her separate from the flock. The flock was ruthlessly attacking her if they had any opportunity. In this time of vulnerability, my hen became attached to me. She would run straight for me if she felt threatened. I would scoop her up and ward off her attackers.

Slowly, I was able to transition her back into her flock and there is peace once more within their pecking order. Now she is strong and steady on her feet, eating and socializing with her flock yet she still runs to me for affection and eats out of my hand each morning. She calls for me and comes when she hears my voice. Her time of convalescence created a trust and a bond between her and I. Her survival depended on me. I was her shelter and security in a time of great need.

Just like my sweet hen, there is a deep longing within each of us to be nurtured, to be held and cared and fought for. Our core needs as psychiatrist, speaker and author Curt Thompson talks about in the “Being Known Podcast” are the four S’s: to be Seen, Soothed, Safe and Secure. Thompson states that, “We come into this world looking for someone who is looking for us”. We are all meant for attachment and attunement with another yet more importantly we are meant for deep attachment and attunement with God. To be known and to be loved, fully and unconditionally.

In many ways, these core needs go unmet or at least under met in that we are human and we are limited. Even with the best intentions, we all fall short and fail in being able to meet another persons needs perfectly. We are uncertain how to love and how to be loved. We have all felt the weight and may carry the wounds of someone we love failing us and the feeling of being unseen and unloved.

I know I have felt this weight and have carried past wounds. With God’s grace and over time, I have found healing and I am learning to release my grip on that which someone else is unable to give me. Instead I am trusting in and reaching for the outstretched arms of Jesus. As my hen looks for and comes to me each morning, I am also learning to first come to Jesus to meet my needs and sustain me throughout each day.

He is the One who is and always will be my All in All, Emmanuel, God with me. I am seen and I am known. Holy Spirit surrounds me and dwells within me. I was made in the secret place, knit together, bonded to the very heart of God. Like a mother hen, He shelters me with the feathers of His ever watchful care. I find complete rest and comfort, under His wings of unlimited, unfailing love.

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Psalms 91:4 NIV

Here is the link to the Being Known podcast which I referenced above.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/being-known-podcast/id1556261828?i=1000511286495

Another beautifully written resource on Attachment with God that was just released is a book entitled, “The Emmanuel Promise”, by Summer Joy Gross. Summer also has an amazing podcast that I highly recommend, called The Presence Project.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-presence-project-podcast/id1462343703