For over all, his glory will be shelter and protection: shade from the parching heat of day, refuge and cover from storm and rain. Isaiah 4:6.

Today a beautiful red cardinal lighted on the head of a cement pelican that sits on one of the posts on my front porch railing. He cocked his head to the side and looked in the window at me, where I sat at my desk, as if to ask what happened to all the food I left for my feathered friends earlier in the morning.

I laughed to myself and thought, “You were not the early bird today, dear friend. You were beaten by several blue jays, a host of finches, some blackbirds, and of course, the local squirrels.”

Obviously, I love birds.

There are few things that give me a greater feeling of contentment than to watch the birds come to the railing outside my den window and eat the bread or seed I’ve left for them. Seeing their unique beauty, listening to their chatter with each other, even observing their squabbles, are some of the best moments of my day.

I have often wondered how these amazing creatures weather the varied and severe storms that could prove to be a mortal danger.

A professor in Tufts University explains that aside from a bird’s natural built-in protection such as feathers, which offer remarkable insulation from cold air reaching the skin, and feet designed so body heat is not lost to cold air, there are two things that help birds survive – location and preparation.

Being small allows birds to take advantage of microhabitats, such as the lee side of trees or deep inside thick hedges.  He notes that wind speeds, and even the effects of driving rains, are dramatically decreased in these microhabitats. As long as the birds stay put and fluff up their feathers for increased insulation they can usually weather the worst of storms.

But staying put also means they cannot forage for food, so an important part of their preparation for storms is to get as much nourishment as possible before the storm hits. Many birds can sense changing air pressure and, in preparation, spend as much time as possible foraging and eating.  Because eating produces metabolic warmth for birds, who need to consume one-third to three-quarters of their weight daily, food is imperative if they are to survive.

It is no different for us when we are faced with so many of the several emotional and spiritual storms that often hit without warning. We are strongest when we weather the storm from within the shelter of our faith and when we keep ourselves nourished with prayer, the Word of God, Eucharist and the support of our faith community.

Preaching in one of his weekly Angelus messages, Pope Francis taught on the Gospel of Matthew and the story of Jesus walking on the water to his Apostles during a storm. He recalled how Jesus instructed Peter to come to him on the water and, with his eyes on Jesus, Peter did just that, and walked on the water – at least for a few seconds. Peter then yells out to his Lord, “Save me!” and Jesus reaches out his hand and saves him.

Pope Francis reminds us, “The faithful and ready response to the Lord’s call always enables one to achieve extraordinary things. But Jesus himself told us that we are capable of performing miracles with our faith, faith in Him, faith in his word, faith in his voice. Peter however begins to sink the moment he looks away from Jesus and he allows himself to be overwhelmed by the hardships around him.

“But the Lord is always there, and when Peter calls him, Jesus saves him from danger. Peter’s character, with his passion and his weaknesses, can describe our faith: ever fragile and impoverished, anxious yet victorious, Christian faith walks to meet the Risen Lord, amid the world’s storms and dangers.”

Mary Morrell, writer and editor at Wellspring Communications, may be reached at [email protected] and Twitter @mreginam6. Her book, Things My Father Taught Me About Love, Kindle Edition, is available at amazon.com.