There was a man who didn’t believe in either the virgin birth of Jesus or the spiritual meaning behind it and was
One snowy day, she and the children left for church while he stayed home. After they had departed, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening.
Then he heard a loud thump, something hitting against the window… And, still another thump. He looked outside but could not see anything. So he ventured out for a better view. In the field near his house, he saw, of all the strangest things, a flock of geese. They were apparently flying to look for a warmer area down south, but they had been caught in the snowstorm. The storm had become too blinding and violent for the geese to fly or see their way. They were stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter, unable to do more than flutter their wings and fly in aimless circles. He felt sorry for them and wanted to help. He thought to himself, the barn would be a great place for them to stay. It is warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he opened the barn doors for them.
He waited, watching them, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. No, they did not notice the barn nor realise what it could mean for them. He moved closer toward them to get their attention, but they just moved away from him out of fear.
He went into the house and came back with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread trail to the barn. They still did not catch on.
Starting to get frustrated, he went over and tried to drive them toward the barn. They panicked and scattered in all directions except towards the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where there was warmth, safety, and shelter. Feeling totally frustrated, he exclaimed, “Why don’t they follow me? Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm? How can I possibly get them into the one place to save them?”
He thought for a moment and realised that they just would not follow a human. He said to himself, “How can I possibly save them? The only way would be for me to become like those geese. If only I could become like one of them. Then I could save them. They would follow me and I would lead them to safety.”
At that moment, he stopped and considered what he had said. The words reverberated in his head: If only I could become like one of them, then I could save them. Then, at last, he understood God’s heart towards mankind… and he fell on his knees in the snow.
Reflection
God loved us so much that he sent his only Son into the world in the hope that we would follow his Gospel. What else could God possibly do to convince us?
This is a beautiful story with a powerful message for both the believer and non-believer. The daily actions of the man’s wife and children didn’t go unnoticed. To the contrary, everything they did, stirred the husband’s thoughts until, one day, he saw the light.
“Actions speak louder than words”.
God works in all of us. When in doubt, say a Prayer to the Holy Spirit.
