A Fish Hook In The Neck

Early yesterday morning, I went for a walk to my neigbourhood park and saw the tiniest goslings I have ever seen. They must have just been born. They looked like little yellow puff balls that were hardly distinguishable. They were so cute! It was just too bad I didn't have my camera with me so I could take a picture of them.

When I got back home, I ate lunch hurriedly for I had a mission in mind. I went back to the lake with my camera in hand hoping to see the goslings again. However, I was disappointed. The parents were visible but their babies weren't. The goslings were probably on the small island in the middle of the lake for protection against animals and people. I can understand why! As I was able to get a closer view of the parents, I saw the father goose with a fish hook stuck in his neck. I so was annoyed to think how people can be so careless or purposeful in hurting innocent wildlife. The lake is stocked regularly with trout, and people have the freedom to fish there, but someone obviously misused their freedom. When I got home, I immediately phoned the town hall and left a message on behalf of this poor goose. Hopefully a Conservation Officer on Monday will be able to remove the fish hook out of the goose's neck without causing him or his mate too much distress.

As I post these pictures, God speaks. Sometimes we as people get fish hooks thrown at us, whether carelessly or purposely, and sometimes these nasty fish hooks jab and stick into us. I know we have all been there and felt the injury of unkind words. But through the loving kindness of God and the ability to forgive through Him, God removes the fish hook so our wound can heal and our pain can end.

At the same time, we all need to be careful not to throw fish hooks at others by our insensitive or cruel words, because words can hurt, bite, devour, and destroy. We are called to live in freedom, but we are not to abuse our freedom. Instead, we must use it to serve one another in love. God has commanded us to love our neighbour as ourself, and one way we can do this is by watching the words we speak.

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.

But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.

Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command:

'Love your neighbour as yourself.'

But if you are always biting and devouring one another,

watch out!

Beware of destroying one another."

Galatians 5:13-15 (NLT)