My husband and I were recently on one of our favorite walks by the Mississippi River when a gaggle of geese came flying overhead, honking away. "Nooo," I said, "I'm not ready for the geese to be flying south yet!" My husband laughed and said, "How do you know where they're going?"

It's a quote from one of our favorite movies: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. In the scene, John Candy and Steve Martin are driving in a car, going the wrong way down the highway. Another car tries to get their attention by yelling, "You're going the wrong way!" John Candy looks at Steve Martin and says, "How do they know where we're going?!" William and I quote variations on this line to each other all the time. Example:

ME: The garbage needs to go out tonight.

HIM: How do you know where the garbage is going?

Comedians we are not, but I did laugh at "How do you know where the geese are going?" because his point was on target. I love summer, and I'm always a bit sad when leaves start to turn, or geese fly south. But the truth is, I didn't know where those geese were going. My mind settled on my "worst case scenario" (relatively speaking) and decided to run with it.

“Do not be afraid,” or some variation thereof, appears in the Bible over 100 times. Clearly, a message about maintaining our inner peace, regardless of what transpires in our lives or in the world, has been needed since the beginning of time. It is easier said than done. We look at any number of situations and think, “I know where this is going." We fill in the blanks, imagine the worst, and mistake our fears for facts. Faith asks us to leave a little room for not knowing.

The geese may have been flying south. They may have been flying north. For all I know, they were just out for an evening adventure. Seasons are always changing, the world is always changing, and all we can really do is trust that whatever unfolds next will bring with it some spark of the Divine.

My prayer for you this week is that when you find yourself thinking, “I know where this is going,” you'll pause, take a breath, and leave a little room for God to surprise you.

Blessings,
Jennifer