“Ah, Spring! When a Young Man’s Fancy …”
The geese have been “paired up” since late March, as I daily pass by the wetland on the way to work. I really can’t distinguish between a male and female Canada goose, but they can! The scene is always the same, as I watch the four nesting pairs: One goose is always probing into the ground, seeking bugs and such, and the other is always alert, head up, looking around for predators. Rarely have I seen the “guard goose” peck at the ground.
The pond that forms on our south lawn occasionally attracts these geese, as well as a nesting pair of mallards. I do know the difference between a male and female mallard. (You would, too, if you saw them!) This pair exhibits the same behavior as the geese. Guess which one always has their head up, looking for predators? If you thought “the male,” you’re exactly right!
If the female has a maternal instinct to protect and nurture her young, do you suppose that the male has a similar instinct for his female partner? Who gave these aquatic birds this trait? What is God telling us about His creation, about the social order that He created for mankind?
When God created that first family, He gave Adam the responsibility to oversee his family and to protect them from danger. Eve, after her sin, had to be reminded of God’s social order for the family (Gen. 3:16). God’s Holy Spirit taught the same principle in the New Testament (I Cor. 11:3), for a wife to submit to and to recognize her husband’s authority, and to respect him (Eph. 5:22, 33).
Her response is a natural one (ie., it didn’t have to be commanded), because of his service of protection and provision for her. This principle certainly works in the bird world, a world that God created for man to observe and to learn from it. Similarly, it works in the human world, too. It’s one of those many principles that God not only stated, but He also illustrated!
God has put parables all around us!
How are you treating your spouse?
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