As the sun began to brighten the morning sky, two geese quietly swam past the dock. I happened to have some bread with me, so I tossed out a few pieces. Wary and alert to any sign of danger they approached cautiously. The smaller of the two, I assume the female, finally came close enough to stretch her neck out and scoop up a piece of bread. I didn’t move, so she stretched a little further to scoop up another piece. While she fed, the male, like a sentinel, watched for any sign of trouble. Instead of joining in the feast, he remained in place, straightening out his neck to it’s full height and rotating his head slowly to the right and left. He paused an extra moment when his eye was directed at me, daring me to make a move.
In order to protect the female, he sacrificed his own desire for food and need for safety. In the interest of the common good, he knew instinctively he needed to protect his mate and allow her to eat – for her well-being and for the well-being of their young. Why? Put scientifically, a command was written in his DNA. Put biblically, a command to sacrifice himself for his mate was written on his heart.
In the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord says:
I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts;
The hand of God has written a law upon our hearts. Like the geese, this law often commands us to sacrifice our own selfish interests in order to promote the greater good.
Sacrifice, however, goes against our selfish nature. For sinful human beings, sacrifice doesn’t always come easy or naturally. God recognizes our weakness, so the law comes with a gift. The Lord said to Saint Paul, who made many sacrifices in his life:
My grace is sufficient for you. (2 Cor 12:9)
As God’s people, we have access to the grace of God to help us make sacrifices for the good of others. When we heed the command written on our heart God will give us the grace we need to follow that command to the end.
Today, God may be asking you to sacrifice a bit your own life to be a help and support to others in need. Remember the goose. Straighten out your neck, survey the surroundings, and do what you need to do to advance the common good. If God’s grace was sufficient for Saint Paul to make the sacrifices he made, let God’s grace help you to make a goodly sacrifice for the benefit of others today.