Dear Children,
Some of you have asked if I would tell you what happened to that baby goose that I found on the lawn when I was cutting the grass. Okay, here’s what happened.
I was cutting the grass on the south side of the property when I came across this baby goose lying flat on its back. It was wiggling its feet, wings, neck and head and was really struggling hard to turn itself over onto its belly. So I stopped the lawn mower, put my gloves on, and walked over to see if I could help it.
I very gently picked up the baby goose and then walked over to the narrow part of the creek that runs through our property. I carefully placed the little goose, with its feet down, in the water, and away it swam! Boy, did it move fast! But ... this is not the end of the story.
“Why, Grampa? What happened next?”
Well, along that part of the creek there are many bramble bushes that are full of thorns and tangly vines. And that baby goose swam straight across the creek and into one of those bramble bushes! I was not too happy with that baby goose. I looked at it and said, “What a stupid goose! Maybe I should just let you stay there, and some fox or coyote will have goose for dinner!”
“You didn’t leave it there, did you, Grampa?”
No, I didn’t. But untangling that goose was going to make a lot of extra work for me. I had to go to the house, put on my chest waders to wade across that part of the creek, and also pick up my long-handled landing net.
When Gramma saw all this going on, I told her what happened. She said, “I am coming to help you.” I told her that was great because I would probably need help.
Now I got to thinking, Why did this baby goose do this? And I’ll tell you the two reasons I came up with: First, it was afraid of me and did not realize I was trying to help it. Second, it had no one to guide it or tell it which way to go. Its parents were out in the main creek and it was alone, so it did what it thought was best. And, as we have seen, it made a mistake. That was the wrong direction to go! It made me think about boys and girls and grown-ups who go through everyday life doing what they think is best. But sometimes a mistake has been made, and they find themselves in trouble.
You know, children, when it comes to knowing the way to heaven, we cannot make a mistake, because God’s Word, the Bible, plainly says in John 14:6,6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) “I [Jesus] am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” If you follow what God tells us, you won’t make a mistake!
“That’s right, Grampa. We learned that in Sunday school. Now what about the goose?”
Well, I had to wade across the creek to untangle that goose from the bramble bush, and it wasn’t easy. I’m glad Gramma was there to help. Now I had the baby goose in my hands again, and Gramma asked, “What are you going to do with it this time?” I told her to come with me and see. We both walked together along the creek until we came to the pond. The pond joins the main part of the creek and there is open water on the south side.
Now, I spoke kindly to this baby goose and said, “You see that open water out there? ... That’s the way to go. You will find other geese just like yourself out there ... and don’t get sidetracked ... go straight out!...because if you do get sidetracked, I can’t rescue you again ... the water is too deep for me!”
Well, children, whether that goose understood me or not, he made no mistake this time. Straight out he went just as fast as his feet and legs could paddle! He was rescued!
And so, children, thank God for Sunday school teachers, dads and moms, grandpas and grandmas, aunts, uncles or anyone else who will point out to you from God’s holy Word the right way to heaven! God’s Word does not make a mistake, and we don’t want you to either!
There’s no other way I can see
To save a poor sinner like me,
But Jesus my Saviour who died on the tree;
He’s the way up to heaven for me!
Lots of love,
Gramma and Grampa