Spring is on its way!
Spring is on its way! The snowdrops are out and the spring bulbs are slowly emerging from the cold earth. Catkins have appeared on the trees and the days are gradually getting longer. My friends in the southern hemisphere do not know how welcome the longer days are to those of us that have endured up to 17 hours of darkness every day in the midst of winter. January can be a particularly dreary month once the Christmas lights have been packed away and the pantomime season has ended. However, there are some things that bring me joy in winter and I feel a sadness when they are gone.
Something that always lifts my heart in winter is to hear the honking of the geese that fly over in one direction in the morning and then back again in the evening. It is not only the sound that they make, but also the beautiful V-shaped formations that constantly change as they swap places. However, I have discovered that the geese are not welcome everywhere.
Suki and I walk around the fields across the road almost every day. One day I noticed a flock of geese in one field. The next day there were more and the next day even more until it seemed that the whole field was covered with geese. Their large feet paddling around and their grazing on the tender winter wheat plants was obviously causing damage to the farmer’s crop and he had to take action. He tried to chase them away, but they merely disappeared over the fence and came back as soon as he was gone. He then installed a gas-fired banger that fires off periodically. It sounds like very loud gunshots. Fortunately, he then tried a less noisy solution – scarecrows! They have served their purpose well and the geese went off to find other pasture. However, with the approaching of Spring, they are now on their way home and the skies are quiet at dawn and sunset.
As I continued my walks between two farms, I found myself wondering “Why this particular field?” There are several adjoining fields by the geese did not go there despite the fact that the adjoining one has the same crop and no bangs or scarecrows. I asked the farmer about it and he said that he had no idea. The important point is that he did not waste time pondering the question, but rather tackled the problem and found a solution.
I was also struck by the way the problem intensified. Within a week the number of geese had multiplied enormously. Had the farmer taken action sooner, the numbers would not have escalated. It is so easy for habits to get out of control and it is best to try to take action sooner rather than later. For example, how to curb snacking? Make sure that there is nothing in the house to snack on. If I don’t buy it, I can’t eat it. It’s sound advice that I don’t always take to heart!
Sometimes there are no answers to our questions of “Why?” and we simply have to accept that fact. We can, however, control the way that we react to our problems. It may mean that we have to ask for help to find solutions. I sometimes know what to do in a situation, but lack the will to do it. In his letter to the Romans, St Paul addresses this problem “Even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it.” (Romans 7: 18) Paul finds that his faith in Jesus can rescue him – “Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Romans 7:25). Help is there, whether through faith or friends or professional help, but we have to be prepared to ask for it.
Hi Marlene today I really enjoyed reading this blog. It was for the first time because I just did not manage to keep up last year. Loved your thoughts about the geese and the pictures. Managed with the aid of my specs & a magnifying glass to see the geese between the layers of cloud. Also enjoyed your relating our procrastination to St Paul’s comment.