Saturday, July 31, 2010

What I Learned From Ducks...


Yes you read the title correctly, What I learned from ducks, and let me tell you I've learned a LOT from our ducks. About faith, about trust, about knowing where your care, food and safety comes from and about knowing someone, SOMEONE is always looking out for you!

We got our ducks from a friend, and they have lived in our barn and they have also lived in their penned area that we made for them.  These are ducks, they do duck things, like eat bugs and weeds, play in the mud, splash in the water and quack.  They are also created by God's Hand, and have things for us to learn from them.

Scoffing yet?  Thinking I've gone off on an extended tour of the back forty?  Stay with me and see where we go.

God created ducks to do jobs - we can agree on this.

What do ducks usually do, as my son would ask, and I would say: they swim, fly, eat bugs, eat weeds, quack, and hang about in a flock.

What do people usually do: we can do things like swim, eat, play, 'quack' and hang out together.  All of this is true...but one thing our ducks have over us is this they never question who calls their name.

They always trust that the voice calling, "duck duck" is the one who provides, loves, shelters, cares and protects them.  They don't question it, they don't snuggle down at night and wonder if we are real.  They don't doubt!

When I'm a bit late coming out they are waiting, when the dogs run up to the fence and stick their faces up in the ducks faces what happens?  Ducks test, ducks taste!  The ducks meet the dogs head on - face to face.  They nose each other, they open beaks to taste and they then nip the dogs because they know the dogs are not who cares for them, feeds them and shelters them.  The jobs of the dogs are to watch the ducks.  The ducks know this.

The ducks play in the water, they play in safe abandon because they trust our presence even when they cannot see it.  Even our lovely blind Runner duck learned to come to my hand for special care.  These are not the geniuses of the animal world but we can learn a lot from their faith.

God tells us to trust HIM for our food, our shelter, our care and our protection.

God tells us to trust HIM to love us, care for us and protect us.

How little is my faith, a thinking child of God, that I would question that, doubt that and wonder at that...

My little ducks are teaching me daily about faith, just as our rescue animals teach me daily about seeing more than the surface, seeking God's gifts and grace  and they all teach me about unconditional love and more importantly they teach me about forgiveness.  I know a closer walk with God because of my daily contact with His Creation.

What are your animals teaching you today about God's love?