In the Storm

                To the consternation of grounds keepers, two Canada geese have raised young around the buildings and ponds where I work. Yes, they are messy, honky, and annoying. But I’ve watched the pair lead, protect, and goose-parent seven offspring. Sometimes they swim the pond, a parent on each end of the line adolescents. Often they sit on the lawn, plucking and plucking and eating billsful of grass. Those parents are going to see their geese children make it into adulthood. Weekly I see the family proving themselves.

                A hawk would have to be deranged to go after a young goose of their size. Even an aggressive driver would think twice about plowing into one of them. And that fox I saw one morning when I turned into the drive? He might be brazen enough. In the end, I think even he might slink away. So what else did these goose kids need to be prepared adults?

                I found out one afternoon.

                The sky grayed until it looked like a depressing period piece on public television. Visibility was poor, and then came the deluge. Rain that made you shiver to think of what forty days and nights of precip like that could do to the earth. I was drawn to the windows to see what the clouds were dumping on our part of earth.

                And there they were.

                Spaced out across the main road to the building stood the family of Canada geese. And they were standing, not hunkered down on the road with necks circling their bodies and heads tucked into protective feathery wings, they stood as the wind blew sideways and pelted them. Something else, too, surprised me. They stood facing into the wind, firmly, steadfastly into the powerful gusts that occasionally caused a young goose to wobble. But none of them toppled, none of them relented as the wind blasted them. They simply courageously held their ground together, Dad on one end of the line, Mom on the other. And I admired them.

                Only when a car turned onto the entry road did they finally give way. And what did they do? They all settled onto the grass and plucked and ate, heedless of the storm all around them. Even if you aren’t fond of geese, you must admit they had chutzpah.

                How’s your chutzpah in the storm?

                Those geese were getting a lesson in standing strong in the storm. Mom and Dad were showing them how. Whether you and I have or haven’t had good storm-riding examples to follow, the Apostle Paul tells how to stand firm in Ephesians 6:10-18—you suit up ahead of time in the armor of God.

Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer prepare us to face into the storm. Our armor is vital. I am embarrassed to say how shallow my understanding was about the armor of God and how important the pieces are to us.  I was more like: Uh-huh, yah, I know the armor’s important. Swords, shields, faith, sure I’m saved.

 But I didn’t really know very much about it until I did a study about it this spring: The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer. It woke up my soul and thrust me back into the battle suited up, more intelligent warrior. Then a friend recommended The Christian in Complete Armour (in three volumes) by William Gurnall, which I wish someone would have given me when became a Christian at age eleven. (And that was a possibility because it was published in 1655, but don’t let that scare you, because you can purchase modern versions.) What a marvelous set of books! Every time I dip in, I am strengthened and see the war with new eyes.

Scripture says: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6, NIV). And I think part of me was perishing. I don’t even want to know how much time I’ve wasted by giving Satan a toehold when I’ve entertained doubts about God’s goodness. I’m sure there have been other debilitating thoughts I’ve owned, which have invaded through the cracks in my armor. My lack of understanding weakened me.

                Through some storms I’ve come to know that God is good all the time. Oh, yes he is, even when things are gray like a Masterpiece drama and the skies have unleashed buckets of tears along with me. And the more I have understood the pieces of armor I’m putting on, the more I see how they fortify me for the storms so I can stand and lean into the wind.

                So grab a study on the armor, or read Gurnall. Whatever you do, learn how to suit up in the armor so you can stand and stand and stand.