March 7, 2025
“A Field of Geese”

The other day I was driving to a meeting. The road that I was on is pretty busy. On either side, were many medium industrial sites with a few houses and farms scattered in.  Driving through this busy built-up area, I rounded a corner and saw a surprising sight. In a patch of green in front of a large warehouse or other building, there was a large flock of white geese. They looked out of place. It made me smile. I went on to my meeting. About two hours later, I was returning the same way. There in the same patch of green were even more white geese and a smaller number of brown and grey Canadian geese. Between the two flocks of geese, the ground was almost completely covered, coming quite near to the road I was driving on with so many others.

Obviously these geese were on their way north. I’m unsure how far south they go each fall, but I know their trip can easily be over a thousand miles. That takes time! There is no way to make it in one flying session. I’m sure that they have to stop many times along the way. But just because it is time to stop, doesn’t always mean they will have an ideal place to do so. Pristine natural spaces are constantly shrinking. Sometimes, they just have to make do. Such was the case that morning. They had a big trip. And they needed to rest when they could, even if it seemed a bit out of place.

It seems to me that there is a lesson there for us. Following Jesus is a big deal. It takes time and effort. Adding to the increased obligation many feel during Lent can feel quite daunting; we simply don’t have time to do it all. But, maybe when we feel that way, that is when we need a break, when we need a rest the most. The trouble is, as we try to follow Jesus, grow in our faith, be faithful, and balance work, family, friends and all the other trappings of life, it can seem that there is no time or place to rest. We might need to consider that sometimes we simply need to take a moment whenever we can. Sure, it is great when we can have long, leisurely periods of rest. Consistent rest may be ideal; but life is often less than ideal. If you think about Jesus, it seems that he was pretty focused, but he made it a regular practice to be in a synagogue for the Sabbath, AND he would go off by himself, for times of prayer and refreshing - as he was able. He worked! And he would take a moment when he needed it. Often, others were looking for him. He still took the time he needed anyway.

Yes, we should take our faith seriously. Yes, we should take Lent seriously. But instead of beating ourselves up for not “doing it all” every moment, let us do what we can – truly and honestly - and just take a moment and rest when we need to. Don’t push yourself looking for the perfect opportunity or place; rest when you can. Don’t worry if you might look out of place to the world around you, that’s not who you are trying to please. The same Jesus who says, “Follow me,” also says, “Come to me all who are weary.”  Take your faith seriously, maybe more seriously right now because it is Lent, but don’t forget, we already have a Savior - and it is not you. Put in your work, following, take a break when you need to, and then get back to it. That’s really enough.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace,

Pastor Blaine