A Lesson From Our Goose

 Driving home one evening in the Spring, Al drove by a lone gosling that was running down the road.  He stopped the vehicle and got out.  That little gosling turned around and came running right to Al.  Seeing no goose family around, he picked him up and brought him home, rescuing him from the big wide world.

   Growing up the baby Canadian Goose imprinted with us and bonded with our family.  He got named Duffy – yet more often than not he is called Gooser, Honker, or simply ‘that goofy goose’! We still do not know if Duffy is male or female – so the goose gets called both he and she.

   Gooser loves to hang around us.  If we are outside, he is close by.  It makes him happy to just be with us.  He hangs out with the children when they make mud rivers. 

In the garden, he likes tasty morsels held out to nibble on – “Clover, please?”   If the children are sledding he is there, usually with silly antics to make them laugh.  

  

That goofy goose has defiantly wiggled his way into our hearts as well.

But as Duffy grew up he was not a cuddly critter.  He really doesn’t care to be touched.  If you try to pet him, you are likely to get pinched by his strong beak or at least warned with the threat of a pinch. 

Unless it is dark.

   One evening Al and the children went out in the woods to burn brush piles ~ as usual, the goose followed.   As they worked at burning brush piles, slowly the darkness descended on our ridge. They were no longer able to see the house or any light but the fire.   Duffy does not like the dark.

   As darkness came he hung out closer and closer to his family, standing as close to them as he could.  If they stood in a circle, he would get himself in the middle.  He even allowed them to freely pet and cuddle him.  

   Gooser knew he did not have a defense in the darkness and that his family was his protection.  

When Al and the children were done in the woods they headed to the house.  Gooser followed so close behind them that when they stopped walking, he would run right into their legs.  He was quite happy to be back in the light of the porch.

The Lesson

   In these days when we see so much spiritual darkness around us, we have the privilege, just like Gooser, to be strengthened by our family in Christ.  Jesus and our fellow believers are what we need for our strength.  Jesus is there for us and gives us His power in a time of spiritual warfare.  

   What a JOY!  Our Risen Lord gives us light and direction for our journey.  We just need to stay one step behind Him – stay so close to Jesus Christ that we bump into Him when He stops walking.  

   We also have the Hope of going home to Heaven – we will be living in the Light with Jesus.

 It is our hope that each one of you has the delight of walking with Jesus in such a close way.

~ Sheila

Al, Sheila, Walden, Amber, Wilson, and Jasper Bontrager