Saturday, May 5, 2012

Geese

MOM watched a show that talked about the ducks at the Peabody Hotel.  Do you know what those crazy ducks do?  They ride in an elevator from the roof to the lobby.  Then they march in single file, one after the other, in perfect step, imitating the duck in front of it exactly.  Ducks, for whatever reason, have been symbols of order and repetitive sameness throughout history.  So many go through life emulating the lockstep sameness, the one-beat rhythm, that those Peabody ducks perform as a daily sideshow?


Today I went for a romp with Bert and Trigger with their humans to find more of those Morel Mushrooms.  Along the way I saw some ducks and some geese and it made me think about the Peabody ducks.

I love the tall stuff
One has only to step into one's backyard to realize that sameness or monotony is not the blueprint of divine creation. Diversity of form, color, size, shape, function, status and essence, is how God has fashioned creation.


Just because creation doesn't live and move in lockstep precision does not mean that chaos reigns. We are only just beginning to hear the loudest and most persistent of the unifying rhythms that keep the symphony of creation moving according to a variety of tempos.  Just like me and my friends.  

 Bert even makes his own rainbows

Where Bert LOVES the water, and I would prefer to just get my feet wet chewing on a stick, and Trigger prefers to be somewhere in-between. God's creations may be myriad and multi-formed. But there is one Spirit that keeps all attuned to a common divine cadence.  Which is like when my friends and I run through the woods to our next destination.


Jesus didn't and doesn't want "ducks". Jesus wants "geese". When geese are on the move they fly in the familiar "V" formation. Yet even though they fly in rhythm, they do not move strictly in step. Each bird seeks out the best alignment for drafting behind its immediate predecessor.  Often the "V" is longer on one side and it can even break off to form 2 "v's".


Geese fly in formation, but a formation that is always changing and adjusting.  They travel together not in step but rather in sync (like me and my friends), sharing an internal and external rhythm that guides their journey but never wholly dictates their next move.

Trigger looking for the perfect rock

Love as God intends us to experience it and express it, is not contained and controlled by style or circumstance. Love as God intends defies convention and safety – giving us the courage even to lay down our life for those we love.

Not only does Bert have webbed feet, he apparently can breath water

Geese fly in rhythm, but not in unison. Abiding in – the sacramental lay-down love Christ has offered to all his disciples frees us from the dreary, duck-like sameness we can so easily imitate.

Hello Mr. Stick.  Be prepared to be chewed

Yummm Yummm 

So my friends, don't follow blindly along, step by step.  Be your beautiful self while flying in rhythm like the geese.  That's what Jesus did.  Yep.  When he choose his disciples way back when he broke with the lockstep pattern traditional student/teacher relationship which expected their students to be ducks.  Jesus' relationship with his disciples may have been out of step with the culture, but it was perfectly in-sync with the true rhythm of God's creation and love.
Blessings,
Goose

22 comments:

  1. I love your message today, Goose! You always make such good sense and make us smile!

    Bunny

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  2. Great Sunday post! Wonderful message of diversity and acceptance. Happy Sunday, furriends. xoxo

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  3. That is beautiful and makes me think a lot about things. I am different and do my own thing and thats cool and you do your thing and thats cool too! The pictures were all so great, but the one with the Bert rainbow was soooooooooooo cool and he had his whole head under water(giggles), he is silly sometimes and that is cool. What a great stick you found. Thank you for being Goose.

    Loveys Sasha

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  4. Mr. Goose - I like all the things you have posted - but especially todays! And I hope it's okay - I took the picture of Bert's own rainbow... (big thank you kiss) Your Charlotte

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  5. Woof! Woof! LOVE it! Back CHI town we see lots of ducks n geese and LOVE watching them up in the sky. Lots of Golden Thanks for sharing. Silly Bert just a golden dog. LOVE your 3rd photo. Lots of Golden ALOHA n Woofs, Sugar

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  6. What a beautiful post! I love that picture of you in the "sea of green" ! :-)

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  7. this is a wonderful post... Like Bassetmomma, the shot of you in the TALL stuff is my favorite.

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  8. Love your post today Goose! I want to strive to be like geese and not like ducks! Loved the pictures and I had to really squint to find you in that grass!! I also loved the picture of Bert's head stuck in the water!!! Were y'all playing Hide and Seek? BOL!

    ~Higgins

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  9. You will NOT believe this... My Mom and Dad have actually STAYED in the Peabody Hotel and SEEN the Ducks Walk.. and due to a Problem with the elevators.. they got to do somethingy REALLY special.. THEY got to RIDE BACK UP with the DUCKS... THAT is not supposed to happen butt the Duck Major Domo Said they COULD and so they DID. They said that the ducks got off the elevator and went right to their places and they have Heated and Cooled areas to live when they aren't in the Lobby Fountain... Which is BEAUTIFUL.

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  10. Another beautiful and meaningful message, Goose and Mom. Thanks.

    And how we love Bert and his rainbow.

    Have a blessed Sunday.

    Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

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  11. Goose- I saw the ducks at the Peabody- It was so cool! Everybody stops and stairs and moves out of the way as the ducks, like clockwork, march through the lobby. It was hilarious! Hope you have a wonderful Sunday

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  12. Goose, We loved the picture of you smiling. It was beautiful. Bert's rainbow was great too. You have such gentlemanly manners to tip off the stick that it was about to be chewed - BOL!

    Your friend,

    Murphy

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  13. Hye My Buddy, My Vickie and I want to thank you and your mom for always being our friend. We love that we can call you and you will take off and help us walk off our frustrations.

    Todays Post was very thougth provoking and we always love to hear about Jesus.

    Happy Sunday My friend

    Bert

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  14. Dear Goose,
    What great Pictures! We has lots of ducks and geese that comes to our river. me loves to watch them fly and land! And yous knows me always goes my own way!
    me has to do what me has to do!
    Kisses
    Nellie

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  15. The perfect post for a Sunday Goose. You found the perfect stick.
    Snuggles,
    Benny & Lily

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  16. Your stick loocks perfect, Goose ! I like to chewing sticks too.
    I love Bert's rainbow picture !
    and I love your sunday post !
    Kisses
    Iris

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  17. I LOVE this post! It might be one of my favorites (which is tough because I love a lot of your work, Goose). Something about the beautiful reflection of humanity and it's foundational reflection of the Holy Spirit couched in between pictures of Bert's rainbow and ability to breath water (literally laughing out loud) and your affinity for sticks. I this it's no coincidence that you MOM named you Goose. Seems like you reflect God's hope for the world too: Love one another. You do that flawlessly. In perfect formation.

    Happy seeing beautiful, Goose!

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  18. Goose,
    This was another beautiful post, among many!

    During a Speech class ( in college) I was given the topic of Geese for the weekly speech. After researching their habits, I was amazed at what beautiful creatures they are and have enjoyed watching them over the years. We have a large population that resides at our community lake and I enjoy watching the new goslings grow to maturity.

    Loved your message and pictures!

    Your furiend,
    Winston and Mom Shawn

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  19. Great post and beautiful pictures. :)

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  20. His face on teh 3rd pic is just too much..too cute!

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