Beloved,

Since I could not send out any Easter Cards this year, I thought I would share a gift I was given this morning.

THE COURTSHIP OF GEESE

It is Easter morning in 2020 and I decided to eat my bacon and egg breakfast sitting on my couch and watching the water in the lake.  Two geese appeared and were at the water’s edge when another Canadian goose appeared quite far out in the water. As the intruder goose got closer, the male part of the team started to fly right at the intruder and they both took off with one chasing the other.  Eventually it ended up to look like an upside down pyramid with each male at either end and the female being directly in the middle of both but still at the water’s edge.

Suddenly the female started swimming straight out into the deeper water, exactly in the middle lane of both of them.  Which one would she choose?  She was steering to the side of the intruder and I thought she was choosing to switch admirers. As she got closer to both of them, they began to swim towards to her, still keeping the original shape of an upside down pyramid.  The original male started to swim towards her much faster than the intruder so he got to her first and guided her towards the beach keeping his body between the two of them.

Eventually the original pair got to the edge of the water with the intruder outside of range of the two.  The female suddenly sat down and appeared to say: “You two fight it out, I am going to rest”. I remind you that this is was happening all at slow speed, it has been about an hour now that this has been going on. The intruder would get closer than move away.  One time he got so close that I thought he would actually get on the edge of the water.  In the meantime, the female sat and the male kept guard but did not attack the intruder. Finally, the original male chased off after the intruder. I thought that it was all over as I could not see the intruder anywhere yet it was pnly about 10 minutes before he appeared again. Suddenly he was teasing the original male as he got closer and then moved away again.  Suddenly, the original pair started to honk as their necks were stretched. After making all that noise, the pair suddenly went airborne after the intruder and they all flew, honking all the while. Just before they got out of eye sight, the intruder veered to the right and the couple veered to the left.

This all took about an hour and a half and I had been wondering if the female had any choice in the matter or was the male strength the dominating factor. I was not left with any certainty about this so I will leave the mystery alone for the next time.

Here is a story about Easter but not crafted by me.

This is really a beautiful poem for Easter. Hope you enjoy these next few days as we wait for Easter Sunday.
A Nice Way to Start Easter

How the Virus Stole Easter
By Kristi Bothur
With a nod to Dr. Seuss

Twas late in ‘19 when the virus began
Bringing chaos and fear to all people, each land.

People were sick, hospitals full,
Doctors overwhelmed, no one in school.

As winter gave way to the promise of spring,
The virus raged on, touching peasant and king.

People hid in their homes from the enemy unseen.
They YouTubed and Zoomed, social-distanced, and cleaned.

April approached and churches were closed.
“There won’t be an Easter,” the world supposed.

“There won’t be church services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new dresses when we can’t go about.”

Holy Week started, as bleak as the rest.
The world was focused on masks and on tests.

“Easter can’t happen this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home, it just won’t be the same.”

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the days came and went.
The virus pressed on; it just would not relent.

The world woke Sunday and nothing had changed.
The virus still menaced, the people, estranged.

“Pooh pooh to the saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding out now that no Easter is coming.

“They’re just waking up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
And then all the saints will all cry boo-hoo.

“That noise,” said the world, “will be something to hear.”
So it paused and the world put a hand to its ear.

And it did hear a sound coming through all the skies.
It started down low, then it started to rise.

But the sound wasn’t depressed.
Why, this sound was triumphant!
It couldn’t be so!
But it grew with abundance!

The world stared around, popping its eyes.
Then it shook! What it saw was a shocking surprise!

Every saint in every nation, the tall and the small,
Was celebrating Jesus in spite of it all!

It hadn’t stopped Easter from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the world with its life quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and puzzling.
“Just how can it be?”

“It came without bonnets, it came without bunnies,
It came without egg hunts, cantatas, or money.”

Then the world thought of something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

And what happened then?
Well….the story’s not done.
What will YOU do?
Will you share with that one
Or two or more people needing hope in this night?
Will you share the source of your life in this fight?

The churches are empty – but so is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor over death, doom, and gloom.

So this year at Easter, let this be our prayer,
As the virus still rages all around, everywhere.

May the world see hope when it looks at God’s people.
May the world see the church is not a building or steeple.
May the world find Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection,
May the world find Joy in a time of dejection.
May 2020 be known as the year of survival,
But not only that –
Let it start a revival.
This is really a beautiful poem for Easter. Hope you enjoy these next few days as we wait for Easter Sunday.
A Nice Way to Start Easter

A rare video that speaks truth to you by the Beatles: ”All you need is Love”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_8_pbu_cNo

Love and Light

Mary Grace
https://thewoundedchalice.com