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Lately, I’ve been reflecting on something that started with my friend Renee Easter’s Facebook posts. She’s been sharing pictures of her chickens—baby chicks, full-grown hens, and everything in between. I love seeing them! There’s something so joyful about watching their adventures and seeing how much happiness they bring to Renee and her husband. It’s funny how something as simple as chickens can remind us of deeper, sacred truths.

One of those truths is beautifully captured in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 13:34, Jesus laments over Jerusalem and says, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!” This image of a mother hen gathering her chicks speaks to the heart of God—tender, protective, and full of love. It reminds us that no matter how far we’ve wandered or how lost we feel, God longs to bring us close, to shelter us under God's wings.

Luke’s Gospel overflows with stories about people who lived on the margins—people who were forgotten, dismissed, or avoided. Think of the shepherds, the lepers, the tax collectors, and the woman who dared to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. These were the ones society pushed aside, but they were the very ones Jesus sought out. Like that mother hen, God reached out to gather them in, to remind them they were never truly alone.

I wonder how many of us feel like those outcasts. Maybe life’s circumstances have left you feeling forgotten. Maybe you’ve been hurt by others, or you feel like no one truly sees you. Maybe you’ve even felt distant from God. But Luke’s Gospel—and the image of the hen and her chicks—reminds us of something powerful: God sees you, longs for you, and desires to gather you close. God especially notices those who feel left out and makes a place for them in God's kingdom.

Watching Renee’s chickens has reminded me of another truth: joy often comes in unexpected ways. Those chickens, with their simple lives, bring so much joy. In the same way, the God who gathers us also invites us into joy. The Gospel of Luke shows us this over and over: joy in a prodigal son’s return, joy in a healing, joy in a shared meal. Even for the outcast and lonely, joy is part of God’s plan. It often starts small, like a glimmer of light in the darkness, but it grows as we begin to see God’s love at work in our lives.

So, if you’re feeling outcast, lonely, or alone,  I invite you to hear this: God sees you, and you are not forgotten. God's wings are open, waiting to gather you in. And as you draw closer, may you find not only shelter but also a joy that springs up in even the simplest moments—a joy that reminds you of God’s unending love.