It all started when we lived west of town on those beautiful five acres. Even with the terrible economy and the resulting penny counting, we had plenty of good times. Yet, it's not hard to associate difficulty with those years. We had five children ages 7 through 13. We lived far enough in the country so that "picking up" a loaf of bread was a five-mile drive. The kids were involved in school and church; that meant many trips back and forth. Ken was doing his best to keep his business going. I worked here and there part time.
As I said, it all started out there in the country, this geese thing. I was out by our huge garden, hanging up the wash on a lovely summer day. Undoubtedly, I was tired, and probably, I was wondering how we were going to pay the electric bill. What I know for sure is that life was hard. You know how it is...you just keep going even though it's not much fun sometimes.
I heard barking. I hung another towel from the line. The barking continued until it was close enough for me to realize that it was coming from above me. Now, I was a city girl. For 34 years I lived in Chicago. There had been no occasion for me to learn the sounds of geese flying overhead. So, as I searched the blue sky to locate the noisemakers, I caught my very first glimpse of honking geese!
Oh, I know that I tend to be over flowery sometimes, but the sight of those geese did something deep inside of me. Such a smile broke out on my face! And what's more, immediately it was crystal clear to me that God had taken my focus off everything earthly and lifted my eyes toward heaven. Really. That is exactly the lesson I received at that moment. There was no voice. There was a lesson. God reminded me with those beautiful creatures to keep my eyes heavenward.
So began a nearly unbelieveable tale of God sending geese at the most unusual times. I've had geese fly to my car, turn around and fly away. They have flown alongside me and in front of me. And like the story for Day 20, they have just come by to remind me that God is in control. I'm sorry, but I have no doubts, after too many instances, that God is involved in their appearance.
The most evident geese sighting came on one of the hardest days of my life. When one of our daughters suffered a seemingly endless emotional breakdown due in part to the clash of two prescription drugs, the days went by with no light showing up at the end of the tunnel. I was at her house on one of the worst days of the whole experience. She was not doing well and by the time I left for home, I was weeping and crying out to God for His help.
All the way down I90, perhaps a half an hour, I called upon the Lord. As I drove down 47 toward Woodstock, I noticed a few geese up ahead. I smiled, thankful for the little reminder of God's presence in our circumstances. Then I saw a few more and smiled a little bigger smile. Then, an amazing scene unfolded before me. Ahead of me as far as I could see, and on either side of me, the sky was filled with geese! Never before and not since, have I ever seen such a thing!
I began to chuckle and then I laughed with understanding and joy. It was no coincidence. It had happened too many times before, and it was happening on an incredibly needy day...it had to be God. Loving God. In control of the fish with the coin in its mouth and the talking donkey and quail for the Israelites. The Bible says He whistles and the bees come. In control of geese that reminded me to keep looking up to Him.
A hundred times this happened. The first 25, I thought it might be true. The next 50, I was becoming quietly amazed. The last 25, I knew...and so did everyone around me. And this is why it was so noticeable when two geese "buzzed" me right before I got the "table in the wilderness!" (Watch for tomorrow's blog.)
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