THE GEESE AND THE STORM

The Geese and the Storm !

There was once a man who did not believe in God or thespiritual meaning behind it, and was sceptical evenabout God. He and his family lived in a farmcommunity. His wife was a devout believer anddiligently raised her children in the faith. Hesometimes gave her a hard time about her belief andmocked her religious observances."It's all nonsense -- why would God lower himself andbecome a human like us? It's such a ridiculous story,"he said. One snowy day, she and the children left for templewhile he stayed home. After they had departed, thewinds grew stronger and the snow turned intoa blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before thefire for the evening.Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against the window... And, still another thump. He looked outside but could not see anything. So he ventured outside for a better view. In the field near his house he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese.They were apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but they had been caught in the snowstorm. The storm had become too blinding and violent for the geese to fly or see their way. They were stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter, unable to do more than flutter their wings and fly in aimless circles. He had compassion for them and wanted to help them. He thought to himself, the barn would be a great place for them to stay. It is warm and safe; surely theycould spend the night and wait out the storm. So he opened the barn doors for them.He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. Nevertheless, they did not notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. He moved closer toward them to get their attention,but they just moved away from him out of fear. He went into the house and came back with some bread,broke it up, and made a bread trail to the barn. They still did not catch on. Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried toshoo them toward the barn. They panicked and scattered into every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where there was warmth, safety, and shelter. Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed "Why don't they follow me? Can't they see this is the only place where they cansurvive the storm? How can I possibly get them intothe one place to save them?"He thought for a moment and realized that they justwould not follow a human. He said to himself, "How canI possibly save them? The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could become like one of them. Then I could save them. They would follow me and I would lead them to safety."At that moment, he stopped and considered what he had said. The words reverberated in his mind: If only I could become like one of them, then I could save them.Then, at last, he understood God's heart towards mankind...and he fell on his knees in the snow.
-Author Unknown