Read
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead…
Philippians 3:13
Reflect
Being comfortable isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but there are times that our comfort can keep us from being our best. Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard told a fable about a wild goose who was wounded by a hunter’s shot. Fortunately for the goose only its wing was wounded, and he handed safely in a barnyard. Amazingly, the barnyard was filled with other geese, though these geese were domesticated and tame. They were naturally startled by their unexpected visitor from the outside world, but they were soon fascinated by him and wanted to know from him what it was like to actually fly.
The wild goose was thrilled by the opportunity to share all that he knew and he began telling the domestic geese amazing stories of flight, telling them how wonderful it was to soar through the wild blue yonder. “This barn looks like it’s only an inch high from up there,” he said, “and all of you geese are only specks when I see you from a mile in the air.”
The domestic geese were very impressed by the wild goose’s stories. This became a weekly ritual. The domestic geese would gather around the wild goose and ask him to describe his glories of flight, and the wild goose would regale them with stories that seemed to them to be impossible. The geese even got a little box for their storyteller to stand on while he entertained them. In the meantime, the wild goose’s wing began to heal and over several months he returned to complete health.
But what happened to the geese? Did he inspire them to become like him? Did they ever reach for the skies? Actually, no. Each week, after hearing the wild goose’s stories, the domestic geese waddled home. They were thoroughly entertained, but they never attempted to get off the ground. As for the wild goose, he, like his domestic hosts, began to enjoy the abundance of corn and the safety of the barnyard. He forgot how to fly and never left the confines of the barnyard.
So, this is a cute story about geese, but it doesn’t happen in life. Right?
A friend of mine who teaches school got a job at a private school, and the situation was perfect. The money was decent, the people were easy to work with, the students were well-behaved and eager to learn, and the place shared her values. She was very happy there for several years. One day, she began to think that maybe the Lord wanted her to leave the school and get a job elsewhere, but “the corn was plentiful and the barnyard was secure.” She stayed, and the next year, a new principal began to run the school differently. This principal had an agenda and my friend didn’t fit in with her plans. By the end of the year, the principal had laid the groundwork to remove her from the staff, and that’s exactly what she did. My friend found herself unemployed and looking for work that summer.
It’s not bad to be comfortable unless that comfort keeps us always looking behind and never ahead. If you find yourself more amazed by the successes of others and never pursuing successes of your own, you might need to set some new goals for your life. And if you find that all of your stories and successes are from years ago, it might be time to reexamine your situation. Our potential lies ahead of and not behind us. Resist the temptation to stay in the comfortable barnyard. Spread your wings and soar toward the prize that the Lord has in store for you.
Reflection copyright © 2021 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton.
