Mama's Wing

The youth I lead in my local church are taking part in a discipleship program. One of the most important parts of the program is scripture memorization. We started by memorizing the entirety of Psalm 139, and have now moved on to Psalm 91. The former Psalm is all about God's love for us, how He has never taken His eye off of us since the day HE started weaving each of us in our mother's womb. The latter Psalm is about the protection God offers those who love Him and call on His Name.

Verses one through four read like this in the New Living Translation:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High

    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This I declare about the Lord:

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

    he is my God, and I trust him.

For he will rescue you from every trap

    and protect you from deadly disease.

He will cover you with his feathers.

    He will shelter you with his wings.

Each day I recite these promises, and they never fail to make me think of my son, Kai. My four year old is as fearless as the come...in the day time, at least. But something happens at night. Suddenly, there's no such thing as "too close" to the mama he wouldn't let cuddle him hours before in the daylight. When the sun goes to bed and the rooms get dark and shadows are no longer the subject of funny imaginative stories, it's not good enough to know I'm in the house, he has to feel that I am there. Even being in the room with me won't suit. He has to press his little body against my side, until there remains not even the smallest gap between us. But he's not done yet. He pulls my arm around him and brings my hand to rest on his chest. In this position, I have one hand free to fight off any danger (real or imagined), but one hand is reserved for Kai to feel me there. 

When he started this ritual we had to have many discussions about my conditions for this arrangement. There can be no wiggling. He has to lie still beneath my hand. You see, I'm always in my bed, on my side. But for Kai to be under that hand is a choice he has to make.

Psalm 91 is FULL of amazing promises, which the passage says are our "armour and protection". But this is a conditional Psalm. The Lord offers protection in the day and night, from the trap of the enemy, malicious attacks, and even disease and calamity. BUT the choice is up to YOU if you will remain under his wing your squirm your way away from your Protector. 

Do you find yourself desperate to not only know God is there but to feel that He is? It may be time to ask yourself if you have submitted yourself to being under His hand, sheltered by His wing. No squirming. No fidgetting. No trying to figure things out on your own. Just finding your nook in His side. 

If you are tired of being afraid, restless, and anxious, ask the Lord to evaluate your heart and mind with a prayer like this:

Lord, thank You for your faithful promises. Your Word says that if I would choose to live in your shelter that I would find rest. I want to know what that feels like. I'm tired of doing it on my own. I acknowledge that You are the only one who could fully care for me and I submit to letting You do just that. Calm my anxious thoughts and teach me to rest beneath your shadow. Thank You that your Word is true, and thank You for loving me so completely. In Jesus Name, Amen.