Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box

Sometimes God gets my attention through Scripture.

Sometimes through prayer.

And sometimes through something completely unexpected – like events right in front of me…

This summer, I had the unexpected privilege of seeing the Canadian Forces Snowbirds three different times.

At first, it simply felt like a special gift.

But as I reflected on the three occasions—and the three very different locations—I began to ponder:

What if this had been a dream?

What might I pay attention to?

And suddenly, the pattern became fascinating!

Look at this with me…

The three appearances seemed to form a progression:

My origins → my present location → an international horizon.

And through it all, the same image kept appearing:

The Snowbirds.

Look Up…

Aircraft in dreams have often been associated with the idea of gaining perspective—seeing things from above rather than only from ground level.

But the Snowbirds are not simply individual aircraft flying in different directions.

They fly together.

In formation.

With precision.

With incredible team unity.

And communication.

Their movement requires trust, skill, courage, awareness, and the ability to pay attention to where they are going.

So as I reflected on seeing them three times, I began to wonder whether there might be an invitation hidden in the experience:

Look up.

Sometimes we cannot fully understand the pattern of our lives while we are standing in the middle of it.

Sometimes we need a higher perspective.

The First Appearance: My Beginnings

The first time I saw the Snowbirds was in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan—my birthplace and hometown. (It’s the reason I was born in Moose Jaw.) And it’s also the hometown of the Snowbirds.

That alone was meaningful.

My uncle is a retired Snowbird pilot.

My dad wanted to be near his brother, back in the 70’s.

And this air show happened on my uncle’s birthday.

So, there I was, watching the team fly in the place where my life began, while celebrating the birthday of our family member who had literally been part of that formation.

The past and present seemed to meet.

If this had been a dream, I would pause here and ask:

Lord, what do You want me to remember about where I came from?

Is there something in my heritage or early story that You want me to see differently now?

Sometimes we can become so focused on where we are going that we forget to look back and recognize the threads God has been weaving through our lives all along.

Perhaps there are gifts, experiences, courage, perspectives, and strengths that have been present in our stories from the beginning—but we are only now beginning to understand them.

The Second Appearance: My Present

The second time I saw the Snowbirds was in the city where I live now.

This felt like another part of the pattern.

First, my birthplace.

Then, my present home.

Where I came from → where I am now.

And I began to wonder whether God sometimes reminds us that our stories are not simply a collection of disconnected chapters.

Perhaps what began in one season is still bearing fruit in another.

Perhaps there are themes in our lives that continue to follow us—not because we are stuck in the past, but because God has been developing something through the whole journey.

He has been forming us.

Preparing us.

Teaching us.

Giving us experiences that we will one day understand from a completely different perspective!

Sometimes, when we’re standing on the ground, the events of our lives can look scattered.

But from above?

Perhaps there is a formation.

The Third Appearance: Looking Toward The International Horizon

The third time I saw the Snowbirds was at the ocean.

I was standing in Canada, looking out toward the horizon and across to other nations.

And this is where the picture seemed to widen.

My birthplace.

My present location.

And now, the horizon beyond my immediate world.

The ocean itself creates a sense of vastness.

(And if you’ve read the yellow book and the significant word spoken over me by the Turkish couple, you’ll remember the theme of the ocean.)

Distance.

Possibility.

The unknown.

And beyond the water was other nations.

Symbolically, it made me wonder:

Are there horizons beyond what I can presently see?

Could God sometimes be inviting us to lift our eyes beyond our familiar surroundings?

Beyond what we have always known?

Beyond the limitations we see at ground level?

The Snowbirds were flying above the landscape.

Above roads.

Above borders.

Above the lines that we draw on maps.

And I found myself thinking:

Sometimes we need to get above the borders to see the bigger picture.

Not because boundaries don’t matter, but because God’s perspective is bigger than ours and our borders.

Seeing Farther and Seeing Higher

This experience also reminded me of another theme that has been stirring in my heart recently:

Perspective.

To see farther.

To see higher.

To see beyond what is immediately in front of us.

Sometimes we are so focused on the problem at our feet that we forget to look toward the horizon.

Sometimes we become so consumed by our current circumstances that we forget the faithfulness of God throughout our story.

And sometimes we become so accustomed to the boundaries around us that we forget to ask:

Lord, what do You see?

I wonder how often God is inviting us to simply look up.

There Is a Thread Through Our Stories

As I reflected on seeing the Snowbirds in these three different locations, this was the strongest thought that came to me:

There is a thread running through our stories.

From where we came from.

Through where we are now.

Toward places and possibilities we may not yet understand.

We may not always see the pattern.

We may not understand why certain things happened.

We may not yet know where the road is leading.

But God does.

Perhaps what feels disconnected to us is part of a formation we cannot yet see from where we are standing.

And perhaps there are times when the Lord simply whispers:

Look again.

Look at where you began.

Look at where you are now.

Look toward the horizon.

And then…

Look up.

Because sometimes you cannot see the formation while standing on the ground.

Sometimes you need a higher perspective.

Questions to Ask Jesus:

If this resonates with you, perhaps spend a few moments with Jesus and ask:

Jesus, what do You want me to see about my beginnings?

Is there something in my past that You are redeeming or bringing into my present season?

What thread has been running through my story that I may not have recognized?

What are You doing in my life right now that will make more sense from a higher perspective?

Are You inviting me to lift my eyes beyond the boundaries or limitations I currently see?

Jesus, what do You see when You look at the horizon of my life?

Then pause.

Listen.

And perhaps, today, take a moment to simply…

Look up.

Merri Ellen 🙂

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Enjoy the books: “God, Show Me What You See”
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