A Ducky Dilemma
June 9
Lounging on the dock with my daughter and grandson yesterday I faced a "ducky dilemma." A tiny baby duck swam up to our dock. (I am talking smaller than the yellow rubber ducky in my bathtub.) My heart's desire was to fill up the plastic baby pool, capture this tiny creature with our net and safely raise him. Walking up the hill to our house I obtained a bag of bread to try to feed this little one. (I know fellow lakers we are not supposed to do this, but this fuzzy creature was tiny and all alone.) He had no idea what that bread was and would not eat it.
Within the next hour, my daughter spotted a mother duck and a long line of ducklings swimming across the lake further out in our cove. I prayed she would quack and this little one would swim towards his mother. My daughter even quacked hoping the mother would turn her attention in our direction. She reminded me of the lost sheep parable, which launched me onto a mission.
A neighbor came by on his jet ski and and I flagged him down asking him to take the duck in our net and drop him off down where I had last seen his family. No go on that request.) With fish jumping all around and knowledge of a very large, duck eating, turtle who lives in our cove, I could watch this scene unfold no longer and got my kick board and descended into the water.
This little fellow didn't know enough to be afraid of humans. Swimming behind him and directing him left or right with my kick board we headed down the lake towards the last sighting of his relatives.
Hearing calls from home, I looked back at our dock to see a role reversal. "You are making me really nervous. You need to come back," my daughter called out to me. Satisfied that the baby ducking was in range of his mother's scent, I began the swim home.
(Telling this story to my husband later in the evening, he scolded me for getting involved. He said how did I know that junior had not been sent out on recognizance and I had possibly interrupted his assignment. Boo's world and the animal world were not meant to collide, he stated. Hmm, our bulldog would beg to differ. He continued his reprimand saying I was selfish, because if I had drown it would have taken a month to find my body and no one at the lake would want to swim for fear of a dead body popping up. Oh, yes and that I'd be ugly and bloated when they found me!)
I kept thinking of the lost sheep in human terms. Are we willing to give up an afternoon of lounging or another inconvenience to help a friend who is lost find their way to the Father.
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:3-7
Unfortunately, I fear the "ducky dilemma" does not have a happy ending. Very shortly after I had returned to the dock, exhausted from my extensive swimming adventure, the baby duck had found his way back to our dock. I felt a little better as he swam onto the top step of our swim ladder realizing it would be difficult for a fish to eat him there. Later yesterday evening I headed back to the dock with my camera to photograph the fuzzy fellow, but he was no where to be found. If I see that turtle with a smile of contentment on his face today I am not going to be happy.
Earlier I prayed with a friend whose child is being pursued by the predator of alcoholism. Daily, our media flashes other evils which desire to tempt and consume us. Let's put on the full armor of God today and pray for protection not only for ourselves, but for all who need direction back to the Father's arms and to avoid or "duck" dangerous dilemmas.
