Today’s Daily Bread ~ Feeding the Ducks

Deuteronomy 8:11 – “But that is the time to be careful!  Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey His commands, regulations, and laws.”

I had such a sweet time with my son the other day.  Caitlyn was at a friend’s house, so Nick and loaded up the stroller with stale bread I’d been saving for an afternoon such as this, and set out to the park to feed the ducks.

Mothers with many know that one-one-one time with your children can be a precious and elusive thing.  I delighted in my son as Nick and I chatted on the way to park, discussing things like rocks and bugs, and anything else that popped into my 3 year old’s mind.

We pulled up to the pond right as another family was leaving.  Shortly after we got there, a mother and her granddaughter joined us.  I looked at the woman and laughed, “They’re not biting much.  These must be the best-fed ducks in all of North Texas!”

Still, Nick didn’t give up hope.  “Come here, duckies!” He hollered in his sweet baby voice, “Here’s your dinner!”  I decided to give it a shot.  If I could manage to either hit the ducks with the bread or land it square in front of them, they would nibble at it.  Otherwise, they were simply uninterested.

Since the ducks weren’t cooperating, we threw the bread into the water to see the fish would bite.  That proved to be more entertaining, and my son and I made plans to come back with our fishing poles.  We watched the turtles sunning themselves on a rock, examined sticks and played in the dirt.  Nick discovered a pile of dog poo and squealed in delight (‘poopy’ is his favorite word; Mike and I are working on substitutions). 

As we walked home, I smiled at the complacent nature of the ducks.  Would they even know how to fend for themselves if they had to?  And then another thought: Am I, an American suburban Christian, also complacent?

Merriam-Webster defines complacency this way: “self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”  Have we become complacent in our love for God?

Deuteronomy 8:12-13 – “For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, that is the time to be careful.  Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.*

I can remember a time in my mid to late twenties, absolutely helpless in the grip of bulimia, crying out to Lord, begging for deliverance.  I also the remember realizing one evening that I hadn’t worried about food all day.  I fell to my knees in thanks and praise.  Today, it hardly seems like that was me.

I also remember a time when I would start worrying on Monday whether or not I was going to drink at a party on Saturday.  I would plan out how I would pace my drinks so that others wouldn’t think I drank too much or too fast.  I would plan to bring several bottles of wine in case the host didn’t have enough.  I remember when the Lord told me that I was never to take a sip of alcohol again, and the panic I felt walking into that first party afterward.  I also remember how much fun I had, and what a relief it was to not worry about drinking.  Again, I fell to my knees, thanking the Lord for my deliverance.  Today alcohol is such a non-issue in my life that it’s easy to forget that it ever had a grip on me.

Psalm 42:1-2 – AS the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  I thirst for God, the living God.  When can I come and stand before Him?

We long for God’s deliverance in the midst of a storm.  We pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) when a loved one is ill.  And then, when it’s over, we put God back on the shelf with our Bibles until we need Him again. 

Psalm 36:7-8 – How precious is Your unfailing love, O God!  All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.  You feed them from the abundance of Your own house, letting them drink from Your rivers of delight.

It’s not unusual for my children to declare their love for me when I let them have a little treat or take them to get ice cream.  But the other day when I returned from a speaking engagement, Caitlyn came flying into my arms at full speed.  “I love you, Mommy!” she cried, burying her face in my shoulder, “and I miss you every time you’re gone!”

How precious.  My eyes filled with tears as my heart swelled, so moved was I.  When was the last time you ran to the Father, burying your face in His robes?  When was the last time you reached for the scarred hand of Jesus?  When was the last time you simply sat in silence, letting the warmth of the Holy Spirit wash over, around and through you?  Don’t wait for the storm.

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that we become complacent at times.  Forgive us!  Please draw us back to You quickly.  Remind of the wonders You’ve done in our lives.  We love You, Lord, help us to long for You.  Help us to thirst for You, as a deep pants for water.  Let us never become satisfied with our relationship with Your Son.  Let us always desire more and more of Him.  We want to experience You, God.  We want to see Your Presence everywhere we look.  We want to know You intimately.  To know of You is not enough.  Fill us Your Holy Spirit, and soften our hearts so that we are filled with awe and wonder when we think of Your love for us, and the horrific, magnificent work on the cross.  Father, let us never take You or the cross for granted.  We thank You for Your Son.  It is in the beautiful, wonderful, awesome name of Jesus Christ that we pray.  Amen.

*emphasis mine