Sitting Ducks

There’s something about feathered friends that attracts me. I remember as a young girl making a bird-watching book, and keeping an illustrated journal of birds that I saw in our backyard. Ok. Now you know what a truly nerdy girl I was! But God can use anything to get a message across to us. Today, He used a duck.

I hope you’re laughing while still reading, as I’m laughing as I’m writing. You see, I passed some ducks on the way out of my neighborhood today. I happened to notice that one duck was alone, seemingly trapped behind an iron fence, while his three buddies were waddling about on the other side having a grand time while he watched. It occurred to me that very often that’s how we live our lives. Not the waddling part, but the fenced-in part. I began to ask myself and God, what fences me in? What do I get trapped behind that keeps me from enjoying fellowship with others? What keeps me from experiencing the joy of the freedom I’ve been given in Christ? In what areas of life am I just watching, rather than participating, and why?

I drove on, and returned quite a while later to find the exclamation point on God’s lesson to me. The lone duck was still there, looking forlorn through the fence. But the other ducks were long gone. Now he wasn’t trapped mind you, he could get out, he just wasn’t trying! Meanwhile, opportunity had flown. Life had moved on without him. Wow. How I don’t want to be like that lone duck in 2009!

I pray for you and for me that 2009 is a year of getting up and around whatever fences us in, so that we might experience all the joys of life that God allows to come our way. Let’s resolve not to miss anything this year because we sit idle behind our fences. First, let’s pray that God would reveal what fences us in and keeps us from life as it should be. Then, let’s pray for the courage and strength to get up and get over it! Jesus did not come to set us free so that we could jail ourselves in, but so we could have life and have it abundantly! (John 10:10) Let’s embrace and enjoy fully abundant lives in Christ this coming year!