Optimist Roundtable

By Martha Sykes

In Mission, British Columbia, a fellow by the name of Ike tells the story about his grandpa’s hen house which burned to the ground one day. Ike arrived just in time to help put out the last of the fire. As he and his grandfather sorted through the wreckage, they came upon one hen lying near what had been the door of the henhouse. Her top feathers were singed brown by the fire’s heat, her neck limp. Ike bent down to pick up the dead hen. As he did the hen’s four chicks came scurrying out from beneath her burnt body. The chicks survive because they were insulated by the shelter of the hen’s wings.

This is one of my favorite stories to share about how God protects us by His wings of love. In the book of Psalms, there are many verses that talk about being safe in the shelter of God’s wings.

“Hide me in the shadow of thy wings” Ps. 17:8

“In the shadow of thy wings I will take refuge until the disaster passes by” Ps. 57:1
“Oh to be safe under the shelter of thy wing” Ps. 61:4

“Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wing” Ps. 63:7
“Under His wings you will find refuge” Ps. 91:4

William Cushing wrote a hymn entitled “Under His Wings” when he was going though a time of despair. One verse of that song reminds us, “ Under His wings I am safely abiding, Though the night deepens and tempests are wild, Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me, He has redeemed me, and I am his child.”

Jesus offers us protection of His wings, the love much like a mother hen. He keeps spreading His wings to offer to us safety and love. He offered His life to us many years ago and as we focus on that cross throughout this Lenten season, we may just look close enough to see that this man, who sacrificed all He had with His arms outstretched, just maybe that wood on that cross will resemble to us, in a way, the loving wings of a mother hen.

My prayer this week is that the Ukrainian people will trust that God is protecting them under His mighty wings of love.