Everyone who attended the Sacramento Gathering undoubtedly returned home with wonderful stories of loving fellowship, heartfelt prayer, and moving teaching. And there were the small experiences that happened throughout the weekend – like sharing breakfast with a newfound friend, or discovering previously unknown talent in the group of musicians – experiences that became the icing on the cake of our time together. My weekend was certainly all of that. But there was, for me, an even better bonus -- a gift in the form of a big brown goose.
One of the surprise features of the hotel in Sacramento was a large pond in the middle of the complex which had as its centerpiece an illuminated fountain that sprayed leaping jets of water in a multitude of directions. Around this pond was a green, grassy bank, the majority of which was the permanent vacation home of a large number of boisterous, begging ducks.
The ducks spent most of their time hanging out near the railing of a covered patio near the convention rooms and restaurant area. It was clear they knew from experience that this was where the plentiful handouts would be, and they were well practiced in their begging craft. It was quite entertaining to sit on the patio and watch them charge headlong from point to point as they spied their next potential scrap, fighting for each morsel as if they thought it would be their last.
In the midst of this cacophonic melee there reigned a handsome brown goose. At least three times the size of any of the ducks, he (Or she? How does one tell?) stood back with head held high surveying his surroundings, as if viewing his kingdom from the parapet of a castle. Like a pickpocket eyeing his next potential mark, he would give studied consideration to every person that approached the railing, looking for a likely prospect. Spying a probable soft-touch, he would quietly and regally move forward, not with the frenetic free-for-all and headlong rush typical of the ducks, but with the deliberate strides of one who had all along intended to go to that very spot, and where, upon arriving, he had serendipitously discovered food waiting to be shared.
At the railing, he would stand and look the person in the eye, waiting for what he clearly considered to be rightfully his. From time to time an adventurous sort would attempt to touch the goose's downy feathers, but he would calmly rear his head back and emit what was clearly meant to sound like a menacing hiss, though it was purely for show as it was obvious he wasn't about to bite the hand that might shortly be feeding him.
If something edible was not forthcoming in fairly short order, he would start making low, gentle honking noises that sounded like so much mumbling, as if to say in his quiet goose-talk kind of way, "Food. I'm looking for food. Got to have food. Got any food? What's in your hand? That’s food, isn’t it? You're going to give me food, aren't you? Let me have the food. Ignore the ducks. Just give me the food." He would then take the proffered tidbit, gulp it down with one swift toss of his head and, having determined he had exhausted his immediate supply of treats, would turn and strut away toward the edge of the pond where he would nonchalantly nip at blades of grass, quite content to slyly watch for the next potential handout to come along.
I often marvel at the rich creativity, intelligence, and even sense of humor our Father bestows on each of the creatures with whom we share this earth. More marvelous is the uniqueness with which He created not only each of them, but each of us as well. Just as the big brown goose was unlike any other animal (or goose) I will ever see, so too are we completely distinct from everyone else in all of creation. Each of us has been imbued with loving and perfect characteristics that make us one of a kind. And as I laughed in wonder and delight at the antics of the goose, so too does our Loving Father take great delight in the wonder of what He created in each of us. In a very real sense, each of us is a tall brown goose in a world full of wild, quacking ducks; except rather than looking for our next handout, we are watching for ways to give away the love we have been freely given.
That goose endeared himself to me, and I would have been quite happy to bring him home (much to my wife's chagrin, I'm sure). It’s fair to say that I came away from the weekend blessed by many wonderful things, not the least of which was the marvelous and mumbling big brown goose.
