On a recent trip to Pigeon Forge, some friends and I were having lunch on an outside patio. While we waited for our food, this adorable momma duck and her (18!) babies put on a show for us. They paraded around their environment. They swam, they splashed, they waddled around. They got to a few areas that were slippery little water falls and they'd flail their wings and feet to hold on as tightly as they could.
Looking back at this picture, I was hit with some super sweet parallels.
First of all, as a mom, we always have little ones near us. If I'm home and both girls are here, it is rare that I remain undisturbed as I complete whatever task I'm doing. My girls learn, and ultimately will recreate in their own lives, everything that goes in to being a wife and mom. They hear my words; hear how those words are conveyed. They see how I handle accidents, problems, good news, sad news. They watch me interact with my husband. They see us have fun and laugh together. They also see us argue and compromise. They see me at my best, they see me at my worst. What they'll never see me do is give up on them.
What I noticed about this group of ducks was that, the mom kept her eyes ahead (press forward toward the prize). She was trusting her babies to look to her, trust her, and follow her.
All of that to say this: while I am their guide, I am also teaching them that I follow God as MY guide. I follow His lead. I do my best to stay near Him. I talk to Him, I whine to Him, I thank Him for loving me. See the connection yet?
The Lord leads us. He won't chase us. He won't smack us when we do wrobng. He doesn't pull us by the arm. He simply leads and we are to follow. We learn how to be like Him when we spend time with Him, following His lead.
One of the ladies working said the mom was very protective and would make sure you knew it wasn't okay to mess her sweet little ones.
Do we always get it right? No.
Do we slip and fall (like the tiniest of ducklings did in the water)? Yes.
Is our Daddy willing to go to war for us? Without a doubt.
Does our Leader give us a nudge when we can't make it on our own? Absolutely.
We just need to stay close, learn to be more like Him (by staying in the Word, prayer, and attending church)....oh, and follow.
