Goose Sanctuary

Sanctuary can be defined as “a consecrated place,” or “a place of refuge or protection.” I think of a sanctuary of a church. It is to be a special place, a place to draw closer to God. A place of peace. A place for reflection and consecration. I think we should all have a personal sanctuary; a special place to direct the thoughts to the Lord. Whenever I am home and the weather is nice, I have a sanctuary. In the fields surrounding my house I like to wander. These fields are places of peace and tranquility. They are a place to get away. There are no distractions out there other than the workings of nature. To the sound of the breeze, the calls of geese, the chirp of crickets, my thoughts can focus on the Lord.

Tonight I went to the fields just as the sun was setting and the Sabbath hours were descending on the day. In the long shadows of the setting sun I wandered. I prayed for anyone who came to my mind. I prayed for situations I am in. And I was still. I sat down in the grass, surrounded by Queen Anne’s lace and clover. I stared down at the pond that is below the field and watched the geese flock. They are headed away from here as the days are getting cooler. In long V’s many geese flew over. As they did I heard the calls of the geese that were landed at the pond. It was as if they were calling to one another. “We are down here if you want to land. It is safe here.” It was interesting that as the sky darkened, more geese landed at the pond rather than traveling to farther waters. I wonder, if the geese who were landed there already did not call, would the geese in the air know to land there? I cannot get into the mind of a goose but I like to think that those geese that were at the pond first were taking care to let any other goose around know that this pond was safe; that it is a good place to land.

I could not help but think of our lives as Christians. We have found a place, a Person, of safety. We have a refuge in the Lord. All around us are people searching, traveling for safety. Like the geese, if we do not call out, who may not find safety? Who may not find what they are looking for? We may be safe, we may be saved. But who is around us? Will they be saved? Who do we need to be reaching out for, calling out? It was getting dark when I went inside, but the geese were still calling out, seemingly into the darkness. It may seem that we’re calling out into the darkness, “Put your lives in Jesus’ hands! Look what I have found!” But our sight is limited. We cannot always see who is out there; who is struggling along and hearing the call.

I thank the Lord for the geese! I thank the Lord for the lessons all around us that He has given to us. I thank the Lord for His grace and mercy. And I pray that my life will be calling out to all those around me, "Jesus saves! Come to Him!"