There is a slight chill in the morning air these days, so I decided to unpack my box of fall clothes. With excitement, I pulled out my favorite sweatshirt. It’s so old that the
material is soft and worn in all the right places and when I put it on, it was like melting into a warm fuzzy. I now wear that sweatshirt each morning when I go into my prayer closet. This morning, I was so thankful that fall is finally knocking on summer’s door so I could snuggle in my prayer chair wearing my old sweatshirt. Both make me feel like I am tucked inside a safe place. The moment reminded me of Psalms 91:4, He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. That sounds like a safe place to land.
There is a story about a Mamma Hen that was found in the remains of a burned down chicken coop. She didn’t survive, but the farmer found all her tiny chicks safely sheltered and alive under her wings. I love that image, but as I sit in the safety of my prayer closet, wearing my comfy sweatshirt, the world outside doesn’t seem so safe. The news is devastating, medical diagnoses of people I love are heartbreaking, and there is a fear of what lies ahead. These days, I feel like one of those baby chicks who needs shelter from the fire raging around me. We can’t deny that we are broken people in broken bodies, living in a broken world. Biting our nails or pacing the floor will not change that reality. In those moments of feeling the world’s brokenness, I am so grateful for the Word that reminds me I am tucked safely under the wings of my Savior. And the good news is there is room for all of us under these wings! From there, we can claim the truths found in His Word, knowing that we can stake our lives on them. In my prayer closet today, I soaked in the scriptures that remind me of refuge. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1,7 There is suffering all around us and we cry out to God for help.
Fannie knew about fear and suffering. She was blind from birth and faced many trials throughout her life. But she found safety in the darkness as she wrote over 5,000 hymns, many declaring the faithfulness of God. She said this, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” Fanny spent her life in darkness, but she was never alone. She was tucked safely under the wings of her Savior.