I have always heard the phrase “the ugly duckling,” but it was not until this past weekend that it really made sense to me.  Well, God made only good things, but, and there should not be a but…  But, what I noticed is that ducklings don’t look too much like the older mature ducks (their parents).  Last weekend, at the park, I noticed these ducks waddling around between the grassy area and the pond.  As I looked at these mixed-colored brown ducks, I was perplexed as to how they would eventually don the beautiful long black feathers along their neck and shed the yellow feathers on their chest in exchange for the clean looking white ones.  I felt like the birds they would be were beautiful, and the birds they were right now left much to be desired.  And again, I could not reconcile how this transformation was going to take place.

But I guess that’s how life goes sometimes.  We know what the outcome is going to be, but often times, our situation looks so far from that outcome… so much so that we speak negatively about the “now” and lose hope for the “what we shall be.”  Sometimes, we even allow people to speak negatively about our now and act as though that is all we ever shall be… but let that no longer be the case.  I have all confidence in the world that those ducklings I saw shall too grow out of this “not-so-cute” stage and become beautiful ducks with a gorgeous set of feathers.  Hey, that’s how they work; that’s in their life cycle.  And when all is said and done, their former appearance will be but a distant memory (and honestly, these feathered creatures probably won’t remember their former look).  All that said, I declare to you too today, that no matter what the situation looks like right now, know that this is temporary… eyes have not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the hearts of man the great things God has prepared for them that love Him and wait patiently on Him!  Remember, don’t focus on what it looks like now, focus on that which shall be! Every so often, I have to intentionally speak life… and know that as I speak on these waves to y’all, I am also speaking encouragement to myself!!!