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 The Hand
Red Umbrella
The Dead Duck
A Prayer for Understanding
Poems for the Spirit
What About—?
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THE DEAD DUCK
Johnny and his sister, Sally, went to visit their grandparents at their farm. Johnny was given a slingshot to play with in the woods. That same day, he headed for the woods and practiced shooting his slingshot. Unfortunately, Johnny could not hit any of his targets. Discouraged, he headed back to his grandparents home for dinner.
While walking to his grandparent’s house, Johnny spotted his grandmother’s pet duck. Out of impulse, Johnny loaded his slingshot, took aim at the duck, and let his slingshot fly. The rock in Johnny’s slingshot hit his grandmother’s pet duck square in the head and killed it. Johnny was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in a wood pile, only to see his sister watching. Sally said nothing to him.
The next day, after lunch Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.”
Sally replied, “Grandma, Johnny told me that he wanted to help in the kitchen.” Then Sally whispered to Johnny, “Remember the duck?” So Johnny helped with the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked Johnny and Sally if they wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper.”
Sally smiled and said, “Well, that’s all right, because Johnny told me that he wanted to help.” Sally whispered to Johnny once again; “Remember the duck?” So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several days of Johnny doing both his and Sally’s chores, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed her pet duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make you her slave.”
Thought for the day and everyday thereafter:
Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done, whatever it is, you need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He’s just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” —from Chapter 3 of the book of Romans, in the New Living Translation of the Bible.
The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God’s grace and mercy that we are saved.
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