More and More

Shell fragments tumbled down the bank. Flakes of white down sprinkled the dirt like snow.

Mother duck’s dedicated waiting proved fruitful. Saturday morning only two teeny heads appeared in the nest across the lake. Early Easter morning I stared through the telescope aimed at the nest.

Bobbing heads and twisting bodies made it impossible to get an accurate count. After trying and trying, I finally gave up at nine fuzzy newborns.

That afternoon when I arrived home from church, I peered through the telescope again hoping to get a better count. That didn’t happen. Mother duck sat protectively over all of her offspring. Perhaps it was nap time.

Just after dawn on Monday, I gazed at the nest. Two tiny heads peeked out from under their mother. More feathers littered the bank. I hoped the hawk hadn’t left remnants of a tasty snack.

The sun rose in the sky. A glance toward the nest told me she had left. What kind of mother was she? When I looked through the telescope. A surprise treat awaited. As mother duck ambled along the shoreline, a kite tail of fluff balls waved behind her.

The adorable creatures tumbled over each other as they tried to keep up. She never looked back but assumed they were following. The mass of brown and yellow became more orderly and formed a wiggly line.

When the walking lesson finished, she slid into the lake. With no hesitation or apparent fear, they mimicked her and effortlessly skimmed the water.

Until that time my attempts to count had been difficult. The line would give me a chance to do it. Wrong. They still wobbled and twitched like an old time movie. As if a magnet pulled them along, they continued to follow the leader. Finally as the line lengthened, I counted at least a dozen ducklings. Amazing.

Down the lake she went with her brood. Close to shore but still vulnerable to dangerous predators.

Even though chances of all surviving to adulthood are extremely slim, she doesn’t keep them contained to the nest. Instinctively, she knows they must be trained to swim, get food, and avoid possible dangers. When that is done, she must release them.

More lessons from nature. Prepare and wait expectantly for the birth of children. Train them to make it in the world on their own. Then let them go.

No matter the stage of parenthood, it is difficult. Using God’s instruction book, The Bible, and lots of prayers makes the journey easier.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.

Father, thank you for children. Give us strength and wisdom to teach and to let go. Amen