In light of this past Sunday’s message about the importance of fellowship and community for the body of Christ, I thought I would post this well-known piece on important lessons we can learn from geese.
When you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in a V-formation, you might be interested in knowing what scientists have discovered regarding why they fly that way...
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
Basic Truth #1: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on each other’s thrust.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Basic Truth #2: If we take a tip from the geese, we will stay in formation with those who are heading in the same way we are going.
When the lead goose gets tired. Ho rotates to the back and another goose flies point.
Basic Truth #3: It pays to take turns doing the hard jobs.
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Basic Truth #4: We respond to encouragement from others.
Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded and falls out of formation, two geese fall out with him and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is able to fly again or until he is dead, and then, they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group.
Basic Truth #5: If we follow the examples of the geese, we will stand by each other through difficulties and challenges.
SOURCE: http://www.healthandlearning.org/act51/resources/other/
quotations/geese.pdf.
NOTE: This piece occurs widely on the web. Its origins have been widely debated and disputed. It appears, however, that its origins can be traced back to a certain Dr Robert McNeish of Baltimore, Maryland in 1972.
Dr McNeish, for many years a science teacher before he became involved in school administration, had been intrigued with observing geese for years and first wrote the piece for a sermon he delivered in his church. The full story is found here: http://suewidemark.com/lessonsgeese.htm.
Zig Ziglar included a piece about the geese in his book titled See You At The Top, which was first written and published in 1975. There is a humerous story related to this, which can be found at:
http://dadmanconfessions.blogspot.com/2011/02/zig-ziglar-michael-maher-lunch-of.html.
When you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in a V-formation, you might be interested in knowing what scientists have discovered regarding why they fly that way...
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
Basic Truth #1: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on each other’s thrust.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Basic Truth #2: If we take a tip from the geese, we will stay in formation with those who are heading in the same way we are going.
When the lead goose gets tired. Ho rotates to the back and another goose flies point.
Basic Truth #3: It pays to take turns doing the hard jobs.
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Basic Truth #4: We respond to encouragement from others.
Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded and falls out of formation, two geese fall out with him and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is able to fly again or until he is dead, and then, they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group.
Basic Truth #5: If we follow the examples of the geese, we will stand by each other through difficulties and challenges.
SOURCE: http://www.healthandlearning.org/act51/resources/other/
quotations/geese.pdf.
NOTE: This piece occurs widely on the web. Its origins have been widely debated and disputed. It appears, however, that its origins can be traced back to a certain Dr Robert McNeish of Baltimore, Maryland in 1972.
Dr McNeish, for many years a science teacher before he became involved in school administration, had been intrigued with observing geese for years and first wrote the piece for a sermon he delivered in his church. The full story is found here: http://suewidemark.com/lessonsgeese.htm.
Zig Ziglar included a piece about the geese in his book titled See You At The Top, which was first written and published in 1975. There is a humerous story related to this, which can be found at:
http://dadmanconfessions.blogspot.com/2011/02/zig-ziglar-michael-maher-lunch-of.html.