Following

As I sat in church listening to the sermon on following Jesus, I was gazing out the enormous window at the vast green field. At that very moment, a whole line of Canadian geese were following the head goose, all in step, all in synch, all following the Master bird. They marched right past the window, all in a line, as the pastor spoke on what it means to follow the Master.

I love the images and symbols that God sends to remind me that He is there and that He has a sense of humor. It would be hard to follow a God that didn't tolerate laughter. I also love his choice of disciples. As the pastor pointed out, their character traits included: impulsivity, uneducated, stubborn, nobodies, doubters, shady businessmen, betrayers....
If they can be disciples of the living, breathing Messiah....surely I can!

I watched the geese till they had marched out of my line of vision. A solid wall now blocked my sight of them for about a hundred feet.  I wondered where they were all off to in their neat, orderly procession. I knew geese flew in formation, but had not known they walked that way as well.

The pastor spoke on about how what we are when we choose to follow Jesus is not the important part. It is what we can become when we are in step with Him.  The pastor concluded that when we follow the Master, we are no longer on our own...whatever He asks us to do, He will equip and empower us to accomplish.

At that moment, the geese emerged on the other side of the solid wall, and I saw them through the adjacent huge window. They were all flying now, their wings stretched and soaring to the sky.

2 Samuel 22:
¹¹ He mounted the cherubim and flew;
   he soared on the wings of the wind.

Psalm 139:8-10

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.