God gave me the bird because he loved me

He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

       Psalm 91:4

Years ago I adopted a chronic feather-plucking Yellow Naped Dwarf Macaw parrot named "Randy". I was his eleventh owner in nine years.

It was a love born of pity: he was ugly but cute, loved me but hated women, and like all parrots needed the same amount of care as a baby for good health. 

His feathers began to grow back, and he got nicer. 

He was insanely lovable as all rescued things are. Randy would lie on my chest and I would rub his back as his feathers grew in. I could see his new pin-feathers, and watch his veins pump and  his heart beat under his skin. 

This ugly-nobody-wanted-feather-plucking-bird taught me about the character of God as told in Psalm 91:4.

When you are under a wing, you feel a heart beat

When you under a wing, you feel warm

When you are under a wing, you become as near as one-flesh

But it gets better. 

God  also promised to be our shield. That's protection in battle. That's keeping us from harm and death. 

And God said he is our buckler, not "belt-buckle". That just keeps our pant up. 

The buckler holds the sword. The sword is our weapon. It destroys the things trying to destroy us. 

Warmth, love, defense, protection. 

When besieged,
    I’m calm as a baby.
When all hell breaks loose,
    I’m collected and cool.

                                                                                Psalm 27:3 (Message translation)