Guarding Hearts

A lot of people hate Canada Geese, consider them a green pooped nuisance... but I love them. I love them despite the fact that a nesting mother goose once attacked me, and then chased me for a mile across a field, dive bombing and beating me with her wings. I understand that "mother" mentality, so while it wasn't fun, I empathized with her.

I love how at least one goose is always standing guard, always on the alert for any danger to his group. He doesn't eat or look down, but like radar, swivels his head at all sound and alerts the gaggle if anything looks amiss. I love how he puts the needs of the gaggle (can you tell i just love that word!) above his own needs.

Yesterday, I was in a flurry. Matt is coming home for Spring break and we have our big DI competition in 2 weeks, my living room is a huge puppet set at the moment, and I am in the midst of financial aid forms, forms for DI, forms for our spring trip, hotel reservations, doctor appointments.... and more. We have 5 trips over the next 8 weeks. I was feeling frazzled, but it didn't matter. Art class was due any minute.

"Sometimes I wonder why I teach this class," I complained to Asherel, "I just don't have the time with homeschooling and all the other things we are doing!"

With this admirable attitude, I opened the door to my little art group. They set busily and happily to work, when one straggler came in- quiet, late, subdued. She is normally cheerful and talks a mile a minute. She had not brought a picture to draw from. So I gave her my pile of photos that I save for just that, and she quietly leafed through them. She chose a beautiful peaceful scene and told me this reminded her of Texas and so she would draw this one. I gave her some instructions and was about to scurry on to the next child amidst the controlled mayhem of the chattering class, when she asked if she could tell me why she chose that picture.

"It reminds me of Texas, when my dad was alive. 4 years ago he passed away, and today is his birthday," she said, "I want to do it as a memorial for him."

The class was silent. What do you say to that?
I put my arm around her shoulder and told her I knew that it must be a very hard day for her, and I would help her make it a lovely picture to honor her dad.

And then I felt like scum of the earth for all my kvetching about how I was too busy to run my art classes. I think we are all called upon to be "guard geese" at times, looking beyond ourselves to the needs of the gaggle. And sometimes it can be in the form of something as mundane as an art class.

Isaiah 58:8
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Psalm 25:20
Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.