Herons and Ducks
Let the Herons Be Herons
Most evenings, M and I can be found walking at Claremore Lake. Since she retired, we can eat dinner at a decent hour and still have time for a nice walk – at least until the time change hits. I’m not an ornithologist or even an avid bird watcher, but I like to observe. And there are plenty of birds to observe around the lake. Ducks and geese are abundant, and we often see Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets standing along the shore.
One recent evening, we came across a white goose in obvious distress. It was crying loudly and looking around in every direction. It wasn’t hurt—it just seemed anxious because it was alone. Geese don’t do well by themselves. They’re wired for community, for the safety and comfort of the gaggle.
Herons, though, are different. They stand silently at the water’s edge, still and patient, usually by themselves. Solitude is in their nature.
Both are birds, but they thrive in very different ways. One prefers companionship, the other prefers solitude. Neither tries to convert the other. The geese don’t tell the herons to join a gaggle, and the herons don’t tell the ducks to stand still by themselves. They flourish in the way they were made.
People are like that, too. Some of us are like herons—we’re content with quietness and space. Others are like geese—we need community and conversation. Neither is better than the other. Both are gifts of God.
The apostle Paul reminds us, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit… For the body does not consist of one member but of many” (1 Corinthians 12:4, 14). God made His people different on purpose, and together those differences make us whole.
So let the Herons be Herons, and the Ducks be Ducks. And let us be thankful that God, in His wisdom, designed us each with a place in His plan.
