There is a sound that fills the evening sky in Winnipeg during the fall. It is a sound that is new to my ears but one that my heart has grown to welcome fondly. The voice of migrating Canada geese. When they are in the evening sky as the sun is setting, the sound of their voices echo across the expanse.

Most often in the spacious skies I see the birds in their V-formation, which makes the flying easier. The wind produced by the wings helps each of the birds fly with greater ease. It's a wonderful metaphor for the importance of teamwork and easing each other's loads.

What evokes emotion in my heart though, is their innate sense of direction.

A fellow Winnipeger shared with me the adventure of seeing hundreds of these Canadian geese congregating at FortWhyte Alive, a recreation facility and birding hot spot. So I paid the entrance fee and found myself joining many others, young and old, all equally amazed that so many geese would congregate in one body of water.

I stood amazed at the water's edge and asked myself, “How do they know where Winnipeg is?” Outside of the city, there is nothing but fields for miles and miles. How do these geese manage to find their way to this place?  Even with a GPS I have trouble arriving at the correct destination at the right time. And yet these incredible birds have found their way. They have landed at the right marker. They have timed it, arriving together. I am captured by the wonder of it.

Life is not an easy journey. Raising children takes work and tools. Learning to love as a godly wife takes wisdom and learning. Pastoring takes something that within me I cannot do alone. Adjusting to the changing seasons of life is not without its challenges. I often wonder, “How do I know the way?” Then when I pause and consider, I realize there is often a nudge from within, a truth that seems to be deposited in my heart or mind. I sense the need for repentance, forgiveness, trust, surrender or love.  I am given the reminder to laugh, to find joy in the small things, to worry less and cling to hope more. This internal nudge is a profound wonder.

It is the Holy Spirit who gives me the direction I need to arrive safely at my destination each day. I am reminded to look and see, to listen and learn, because “his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

I thank God for inviting us into this incredible journey. I praise him for the wonder of creation, like migrating birds, which causes me to pause and reflect. The living God has led us and leads us. For every believer we are given the incredible gift of the Spirit that equips us with every correct sense of direction in the joys, struggles, successes and failures of life.

Major Brenda Allen is a training officer at the College for Officer Training in Winnipeg.

(Photo: © Ingimage.com)