*** Tissue Alert ***
We really can learn much from our surroundings..
Count as blessings your friends - who become the air beneath your wings.
A FRIEND FORWARDED THIS STORY TO ME:
Where we live, on the Eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run
in And out like fingers slimming at the tips. They curl into the smaller
creeks and coves like tender palms.
The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and the ducks
who Ride an inch above the waves of Chesapeake Bay as they skim their
way into harbor In the autumn, by the thousands, they come home for
the winter. The swans move toward the shores in a stately glide, their
tall heads proud and unafraid.
They lower their long necks deep into the water, where their strong
beaks dig Through the river bottoms for food. And there is, between the
arrogant swans and the prolific geese, an indifference, almost a disdain.
Once or twice each year, snow and sleet move into the area. When this
happens, if the river is at its narrowest, or the creek shallow, there
is a freeze which hardens the water to ice.
It was on such a morning, near Osford, Maryland, that a friend of mine
set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Across
the river, beyond the dock, the snow laced the rim of the shore in white. For a moment
she stood quietly, looking at what the night's storm had painted.
Suddenly she leaned forward and peered close to the frosted window.
"It really is," she cried out loud, "there is a goose out there." She reached to the
bookcase and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Into their sights came the figure of a large
Canada goose, very still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen to the ice.
Then from the dark skies, she saw a line of swans. They moved in their
own singular formation, graceful, intrepid, and free. They crossed from the west of the broad
creek high above the house, moving steadily to the east.
As my friend watched, the leader swung to the right, then the white
string of birds became a white circle. It floated from the top of the sky
downward.
At last, as easy as feathers coming to earth, the circle landed on the
ice.
My friend was on her feet now, with one unbelieving hand against her
mouth.
As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared what life he
still had might be pecked out by those great swan bills.
Instead, amazingly instead, those bills began to work on the ice.
The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again,
it went on for a long time.
At last, the goose was rimmed by a narrow margin of ice instead of the entire creek.
The swans rose again, following the leader,and hovered in that circle, awaiting the results of their
labors.
The goose's head lifted. Its body pulled. Then the goose was free and
standing on the ice. He was moving his big webbed feet slowly. And the swans stood in the air
watching. Then, as if he had cried, "I cannot fly, four of the swans came down around him. Their
powerful beaks scraped the goose's wings from top to bottom, scuttled under its wings
and rode up its body, chipping off and melting the ice held in the feathers.
Slowly, as if testing, the goose spread its wings as far as they would go, brought them
together, accordion-like, and spread again.
When at last the wings reached their fullest, the four swans took of and joined the
hovering group. They resumed their eastward journey, in perfect formation, to their secret
destination.
Behind them, rising with incredible speed and joy, the goose moved into the sky.
He followed them, flapping double time, until he caught up, until he joined the last end of the line, like a small child at the end of a crack-the-whip of older boys.
My friend watched them until they disappeared over the tips of the farthest trees. Only
then, in the dusk, which was suddenly deep, did she realize that tears were running down her cheeks and had been for how long she didn't know.
This is a true story. It happened. I do not try to interpret it. I just think of it in the
bad moments, and from it comes only one hopeful question:
"If so for birds, why not for man?"
THis is a FREE page
- - -
Not ashamed...
pass this on...
Ashamed...delete.
2:33 a.m.
Updated AUGUST 28,2006
--------------
This is a free page
so you will
GOD
is real and
JESUS
is alive
Send this to your friends
and
YOUR ENEMIES.
CLICK
WILL YOU KNOW ME
IF
ONLY
WE HAD
MORE
SEVEN DAY
a WEEK
CHRISTIANS
IF
your parents believed in
ABORTION
where would YOU
be today
IN GOD WE TRUST
| |
| |
Latest Update