Ducks, Just Ducks

During our first year of marriage we lived in an apartment on Bishop Street in Moncton, New Brunswick. I worked for Birks Jewelers which was located at that time in Highfield Square, a mall about a mile away on Main Street, so I was able to walk to work while Brad headed off in the other direction to his job which was further away. My walk took me past Jones Lake which was home to many varieties of ducks. I enjoyed the spring of the year when their babies would be hatched out of their shells and I often would leave early for work to take extra crusts of bread to the families of ducks.

On one particular day, as I was walking along Main Street, I noticed a mother duck hop off of the side walk on my side of the street and into the on coming traffic. She had twelve yellow baby ducks trailing behind her. Without thinking I quickly stepped into an opening in the traffic and held my open umbrella up, waving it frantically to attract the attention of the oncoming motorists so they would stop. And they did. All four lanes of traffic stopped while this crazy woman with an umbrella ushered thirteen ducks across the road to Jones Lake. We didn't lose even one!

I know what you're probably thinking...they're only ducks, who cares? Well I guess I am not the only one who does care because I happen to now live in Barrington, Nova Scotia and there is a great respect for ducks here too. There is a pond in front of the library which is on the main street through town and you guessed it... it is home to many ducks. Sometimes these ducks aren't happy just spending time by the pond so they decide to walk to the other side of the road. They could fly but they choose to walk. And when they do, traffic stops in both directions until the ducks have safely crossed the road. I have lived here over 7 yrs now and have only seen a dead duck twice. So I think that most people take the time to stop for them rather than just mowing them down.

My husband and I were in a funeral procession through Clam Point one day when suddenly the hearse came to a complete stop. We didn't know what had happened. In fact I don't know of another time when a hearse stopped while in a procession. But we soon saw the reason. Ducks! There was a line of ducks crossing the road and the entire procession came to a standstill.

When my father was just a little boy his family had ducks and chickens. One of the mother ducks wouldn't set on her eggs, so my great grandfather put one of his best setting chickens on the nest and she successfully hatched out the eggs. All was well with this little family until the babies headed to the water! The poor mother chicken thought her babies would drown and created quite a racket trying to tell the world what was happening to her chicks.

I love ducks and as I was sitting here this evening I realized that to some people they're only a duck but to our Heavenly Father they are so much more: they are His creation. He made so many different types of ducks when He could have made them all the same. Instead He used such a wonderful variety of colours for their wings and even different calls for each of them. The Bible tell us that He cares about a little sparrow that falls and that He cares so much more for us. Ducks remind me that He watches over His creation. Sometimes He'll send a crazy lady with an umbrella to protect them and sometimes He'll use a chicken to see that they're born, or maybe He'll put compassion in the heart of a driver. Whatever way He chooses He does watch over even the ducks.

God loves you even more than He does His ducks. He died for you, for all of us. He watches over you and protects you and cares for you more than you could ever know. The next time you see a little duck remember that God is watching over you too!