When I was a teenager, my dad gave me some great advice:
“When you’re having a hard time, but you’ve got to be a duck. Ducks are calm and cool as they float across the water, but underneath they are kicking like crazy!”
I’m not telling you to pretend everything’s great while you deal with your stuff in secret. I’m suggesting that God lavishes so much grace on us that we can function while we deal with our stuff. Ducks glide across the water because their Creator designed them to, not because they’ve accomplished it on their own. God equips us to be a D.U.C.K…
Discern what to say
Not everyone needs to know your business. God wants us to be genuine and show His love for others through the things we do and say. He doesn’t say we need to air our laundry out to everyone we talk to. Some of His lessons are meant to share while others are meant just for you.
Understand your purpose
Ducks are content to hang out in the pond with their duck friends and bask in the beauty of their surroundings. They are not focused on climbing the ladder of accomplishment or busying themselves with worldly things. While we may not have been created to hang out in the local pond, we have been created for one purpose – to glorify God. He uses each of us in a different way, but just like the ducks, we are all here for the same reason.
Choose not to be offended
Like water rolls off a duck’s back, we can choose to let offenses roll off us. Just because someone intends to hurt our feelings or make us feel bad, it doesn’t mean we have to allow them to. I know full well that this can be easier said than done. But we have the power to forgive them and let their offense roll off our back. People can only steal your joy when you let them.
Keep kicking!
Ducks get where they want to go by kicking their little legs until they get there. Sure, they can just sit back and let the current pull them along but then they don’t get to decide where to go. God intends for us to actively participate in our lives. We’re not here by chance; we’re here to glorify Him. That doesn’t happen by accident! God speaks to our hearts and directs us where to go, but we must do some ‘leg work’.
Sometimes the simplest words of advice can be the most profound. Thanks to my dad, I grew up being a duck. Hopefully you’ll be one too. See you in the pond!
Be blessed!
Jennifer
“Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3