Under the Wings of God

I have the sweet privilege to be studying God’s word this fall with some amazing women.  We are taking some of the familiar stories of scripture and asking God to teach us about Himself, to teach us theology and to sink it deep into our hearts.  This week we studied and looked at the beautiful love story of Ruth.  I ran again into a truth that the Lord has been pressing into my life for a few years.  When Boaz says to Ruth, “may the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully.”  The wings of God…such imagery…such beauty…such rest!  I remember the precious moment that He let me feel the reality of His wings.

We had traveled to a far away land, to a country that is closed to God and to His life rescuing hand.  Yet up in the mountains of this country there is a pocket of many believers, a result of missionaries that 150 years ago invested…and gave their lives for the people of the area.  We were sent to encourage the body.  Jim would meet with the pastors in the area and I would meet with the pastor’s wives in a retreat setting.  They traveled for miles, some of them three and four days for two days of teaching.  The week was hard spiritually and physically with the conditions we were in.  We came to the end of the week totally spent and fragile.  One of the pastors asked if we would please spend our last evening in his home.  It is against the law for foreigners to be in local’s homes so we went there in the cloak of night, in a torrential rain storm and on a motorcycle!  I remember being on the verge of tears when we arrived and having thoughts that I could not muster up one more ounce of energy.  We walked into their home.  It was modest, mats on the floor, four chairs, a dirt floor kitchen, and a wood burning stove in the middle.  It was rainy and cold, the warmth of the stove felt so good on our wet skin.  But nothing compared to the warmth of the couple that we shared the space with.  The pastor/husband could speak English but the wife could only say a few words.  So everything that was said was said with interpretation.  After entering we were served hot tea and seated on two of the four chairs.  Our hostess then scurried out of the room and reappeared.  She unfurled a beautiful shawl, made with traditional colors of deep burgundy and green.  Her husband explained that she was a weaver and had made the shawl herself.  She would later show us her loom as she sat on the floor, the loom securely on her lap and the tension peddles being controlled by her feet. She came over to me offering me the shawl, she then once again unfurled it, came behind me and wrapped me in the bright colored cloth and her arms, whispering some of the only words she knew in my ear, “be blessed Kim”.  I was wrapped in love.  Under the warmth of this woven treasure I was overwhelmed with the sense of belonging, a place of refuge, a place of care. The Lord used it to heal me that stormy night and to teach me the refuge that is found only under His wings. I kept wrapped in the shawl for the rest of the night and even now often I will make a cup of tea and wrap myself in it.  God’s wings are our refuge, shelter, covering, resting place, a place we can sing for joy.  Learning to not look to anyone or any other place for this is the journey.  Even Jesus stood on top of a hillside over looking Jerusalem and said how He longed to gather them under His wings. 

Learning to stay tucked under His wings.

Be Blessed!

Kim

Psalm 17:8, Psalm 36:7, Psalm 57:1, Psalm 61:4, Psalm 63:7, Psalm 91:4, Duet. 32:11, Matt. 23:37

A beautiful song written based on Ruth 2:12 by a gifted singer/song writer, Mandy Mapes.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OciO_9hk6fA