The Rescue of a Goose

“Will the sun never rise again?”

For Mother Goose, bobbing in her life preserver in the cold north Atlantic waters, the night seemed to last an eternity. She occasionally dozed off, the waves rocking her little boat like a cradle. She drifted along for hours and hours, too tired and sad to fly. She looked up to the heavens at the bright stars that seemed to dangle just a few feet over her head. She had never seen such brilliant stars — they were so close, she could almost stretch out her wing and touch them.

She wondered about the other survivors of Titanic…she had lost the lifeboats in the deep darkness of the night. As she looked to the east, Mother Goose noticed that the sky was not as black as it had been. “The light of a new day! Bless my soul, there’s hope for a new day!” she exclaimed and with that hope came renewed strength to Mother Goose. Stretching her neck as high as she could, Mother Goose could see a cloud of smoke very near the horizon.

“Rescue!” she shouted. “There’s a rescue happening today!” She began to sing with joy, and her wings flapped as she stood up on the life preserver and danced a thankful dance. She leaped into the air and began to fly. Up, up and away flew Mother Goose towards the smoke cloud.

And as she got higher, she could see the smoke came from a steamship. Truly a rescue was happening, and she would be saved. Her feathers rustled as she flew ever closer to the ship, and, of course, Mother Goose began to honk. She honked like she’d never honked in her life — like a foghorn, the honk of Mother Goose carried over the water. Like the mighty roar of a waterfall, the honk of Mother Goose could be heard for miles around. When you can’t imagine a louder honk, then you are close to the sound of this honk. Like a herd of New York taxi’s blaring their horns in the canyons of Manhattan, such was the honk of Mother Goose as she flew closer and closer to the rescue ship, Carpathia.

As she neared the ship, she could see the lifeboats from Titanic all around. The passengers were being lifted up out of the small boats and hoisted up onto the deck of the steamer. The seas were beginning to build with the rising of the sun, and the lifeboats rocked crazily with their precious cargo. But the crew was very careful with these poor frozen people, most of whom were in a state of shock for the circumstances they had endured through the night.

Mother Goose herself landed on the deck of the Carpathia and was quickly spotted by the other rescued passengers. “Look!” they cried. “It’s Mother Goose! She’s safe! Mother Goose is safe and alive!” She was quickly wrapped in a colorful quilt and offered a cup of hot coffee. She slowly sipped the coffee and looked around at the hundreds of people, many crying as they tried to describe the fate of the great ship Titanic. Many tried to find their lost loved ones, and many did. In total, 706 passengers and crew and one goose survived. But sadly, many did not.

Mother Goose watched the mothers with their babies, knowing that she had done her best in saving three. Perhaps those three babies would grow up to be happy, healthy adults who would make the world a better place. Perhaps one of them would find a cure for influenza… Perhaps one of them would be a great painter… Perhaps one of them would be a teacher…

Only time would tell, and Mother Goose knew in her heart that each and every person who survived this tragedy was saved for a reason. Though she could not begin to understand the mysterious ways of God, she knew His love would prevail even through this time.

As she gradually warmed, Mother Goose thought of her many friends who were gone now. She would never forget their courage and the way they faced death. Over 1,500 souls perished with the wreck and sinking of Titanic, yet their stories live on. The faces and names will remain in our hearts as long as we remember Titanic. In their passing, they have forever changed our world.