Deborah Switzer - Goose Droppings

My newest commitment to health is to feebly attempt a twice-per-week, early-morning walk around a small lake near our house. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I arise bleary-eyed and endeavor to be physically fit. At first I thought this idea was great -- I could praise the Lord, pray, and exercise all at the same time. I mused that it would be fun to head out with my Zune and walk the .4 mile lake a few times. But after several weeks, I find that I am not losing weight, I am too breathless to pray, and my headphones don’t stay in my ears as I attempt to be spiritual and praise the Lord in the midst of nature. I do love the outdoors and find aspects of God in its beauty, but somehow that beauty is not my focus when I am attempting to shed pounds and torture myself with 6:00 AM early risings.

The torture seemed even more evident this morning. Tired, but convincing myself it was worth it, I donned my old sneakers that I have now had for over six years, and with a quick stretch, I made my way out the front door. I purposefully left behind my Zune, knowing the ear plugs would only once again pop out of my ears and frustrate my experience. Aggravation was not an emotion I was pursuing this morning. So I chose to head music-less over to the lake and I slothfully began my morning routine.

We have quite a bit of wildlife on this lake -- my kids love it. We find turtles and geese and herons. You can fish in the lake, but then you have to throw them back in (a concept my children don’t quite understand). Still, it’s a child’s nature schoolhouse. But this morning, the fuzzy green droppings of the geese left me tiptoeing around the path instead of speed-walking. Never in my life had I seen so much goose poop! It was literally everywhere, and instead of being able to soak in the beauty of God’s creation as I panted along the pathway, I found myself meandering, head down, through piles of goose excrement. The goose family, swimming in the water, seemed to enjoy my hopscotch game as I carefully wove in and out of their green patties.

Having completed my first bout around the lake successfully, I decided to go around again, carefully looking down to insure I didn’t step in any of the piles, desperately hoping to avoid smelly sneakers when I walked back through my front door. Suddenly startled, though, I found myself standing in front of an entire family of geese, barely avoiding a head-on collision with one of the parents.

Now I know geese are not supposed to be scary, but when you are a woman alone on a jogging path, even a goose can strike fear in your heart. In my attempt to avoid goose poop, I had not noticed the mother (I think it was the mother) moving her family to a new location. I stood there in silence, frozen, as each goose hissed at me. I slowly backed away, praying I would not be on the evening news as the woman jogger attacked by geese!

As I travelled back home, head still down to avoid goose poop, I started to realize something. How often do I go through this life with my head down, trying to avoid the droppings of this evil world? It seems that I spend a lot of my life attempting to protect myself and my family from the excrement left by society … whether it is poverty, immorality, lawlessness, etc. All the while my focus is on avoiding evil, rather than noticing the beauty of the life God has given me. It’s not that I should be ignorant of the goose poop, but if the goose poop stops me from enjoying my life, then I have missed the point. And if I continue to miss the point, it will eventually lead me right to the maker of the poop instead of to the Maker of heaven and earth. Walking with my head down in this life will only lead me on a dead end path where I no longer continue on my journey with the Lord, but rather find myself in retreat.

It takes a great deal of trust to walk on a path that is covered in goose poop and not look down. No matter how much I want to say I trust God to guide my steps, the truth is that when push comes to shove, I trust my own eyes to look for the steps that I should take. I trust myself to avoid the messes of life – and deep inside I know that if I keep my eyes up, God will let me step in the patties this world has made. Somehow in His eternal plan, stepping in the mushy, uncomfortable, and yes, dirty things of life, can make me a better person, turn me toward vulnerability, and deepen my dependence.

This reality can make it hard for me to trust God. So I choose, instead, to direct my own path. Often, I will pray to God, not to commune with Him, but to try to manipulate the direction of the path I want to take. His Word is a lamp unto my feet, right? So I read it diligently, hoping He will shine His light down on the patties that lie in wait for me in the dark. Ironically, I fail to realize that His Word is already lighting the path He has marked for me in the sky, not under my feet. As my eyes look up and pursue that path, my feet are forced to follow His perfect plan for my life. As I look up, I find Christ’s freedom; as I look downward, I find bondage to my need for control. If I could simply learn to trust, I would find that He is lighting the path in my heart that leads me not into a perfect life, but a life of deep relationship with Him that cannot be severed.

I have decided that I, for one, would rather walk with my head up and trust the path God has marked for me. And if that means I have to step in a little goose poop along the way, no worries. God’s great at cleaning up messes!