“In the shadow of thy wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Ps 57:2).
It can happen in our lives that our Heavenly Father allows situations that we can hardly change by our own efforts, and we feel powerless, as if at the mercy of them.
Let us remember that Jesus Himself avoided certain situations and went into hiding. It is certainly not a reaction of overwhelming fear, but a wise assessment of the situation.
In fact, if we assimilate the words of the Psalm, there are no dead ends, even if they seem so to us, because we can always take refuge with our Father, in the shadow of His wings. There, in intimacy with Him, we can entrust to Him all our worries and concerns, the dangers that await us – whether real or feared – the impossibility of changing the situation on our own, and even the helplessness we may feel.
Our Father will shelter us under His wings and take care of us. In Him we are always safe, come what may. He will strengthen and comfort us inwardly and make us realise that the calamity will pass. Then it is up to us to know how to wait until the time comes and not to rush into it on our own. Nor should we think that it is cowardice to take refuge in the shadow of the Father’s wings. Rather, it is part of the realism of life. The goal of a disciple of Christ is not heroism but holiness. The fact that heroic acts can be performed on the way to holiness is, so to speak, an afterthought.
What is important is that we know where to turn when we are threatened by misfortune and that we do not fall into despair. Under the shadow of our Father’s wings, adversity will pass.