Revelation through Duck Poo

Like the title? A little colorful for this blog, I realize, but it was so accurate I couldn't resist!

My 15 year old purchased two baby ducklings a little over two weeks ago. Her plan is to release them when they are fully grown, as we do not have a pond or place for them once they are bigger.

I conceded to her purchase; after much hesitation, because she may be an animal lover, but I am NOT. I think animals are stinky and messy. They are most cute when they are behind a fence or plexiglass at the zoo. What I wasn't prepared for was how fascinated I would become with these two baby ducklings. I have found myself sitting for minutes at a time watching them, taking pictures and video of them on my phone.

Google has become like a Bible for me when it comes to all things about pekin ducks. I have researched about feeding habits, mating habits, moulting, gender identification...you name it. The most intriguing thing I have learned about them is how fast they grow. Two weeks ago you could hold them in the palm of your hand...TINY! Now, they are over half way to fully grown! Which leads me to the reason for my blog title...they poop constantly!

My daughter cleans out their cage at least twice a day. When they are outside playing every few steps they take they poop. I have duck poo all over my driveway and in the grass! The water hose and I have become fast friends. Of course, they eat as much as they poop...but the growth, on my stars!!!! I thought human babies grew fast...these ducks grow literally overnight.

One of my favorite speakers, Larry Randolph, talks about "poo" in the church. He gives the example of the church nursery. There's plenty of poo in the nursery, but what is also there? Growth. The two go together. Newborn babies eat every 2-4 hours and they poop just about as much...but look at how fast they grow!

So, Amy, all this talk about poo is making me ill...I'm sorry, stay with me. I heard Larry give this analogy over a year ago, but the visual raising two ducks provided made it even more profound to me. Which brings me to some questions for you...

Is the church (I'm referring to the body of Christ, not the building) more concerned with looking clean and polished where it makes the poo go away (like me with my water hose) or is the church embracing the "messes" people create and seeing them as an opportunity for great growth and an avenue to maturity through the process?

Let's make this example even more real for those of you who are parents. Do you look at the "messes" your children (think especially pre-teen/teens) make as things you need to fix, cover-up or make go away...or do you look at them as learning and growing opportunities?

I pose that question to myself as well. A few years ago I measured my success as a mother on how well my girls "appeared" to behave. Their behavior was my grading scale...but behavior isn't an accurate assessment and it isn't how God measures us. The church needs to worry less about conformity to the rules and focus more on the condition of people's hearts. In this process of healing and transformation there will be messes, but hopefully they will lead to more maturity and wisdom.

What about in your own life? Do you feel stuck in failures or disappointments? Do they cripple you? I have learned, through experience, I always have choices. I don't always make the right choices...sometimes this effects only me and sometimes it effects those around me. It is my prayer you each have a "safe" environment where things can get "messy" and those around you will extend you grace and mercy just as they have received grace and mercy for themselves. We all need to be constantly "growing up" in the Lord...and friends, messes are part of the process:)

How and what God will use to speak revelation to my heart never ceases to AMAZE me and this is just another reason MY SOUL SINGS!