For the last eight or nine days we've been doing chores for some dear friends. They had found an abandoned nest in their field filled with eggs. They put them in their incubator just to see what would happen. No one knew if they would hatch, and if they would how long it would take.
When I opened the incubator yesterday afternoon the little faces were looking up at me. Some were just sitting in their eggs. A couple had escaped to the bottom of the incubator standing there waiting.
I must admit I was a bit impatient while doing chores last night. A lot of the chickens were out and had to be wrangled back into the chicken house; and these new babies -- I had no idea what to do with them.
One of our friends called. She told us where the feeder and waterer could be found. We grabbed a heat lamp from their chicken house (which was not needed by the chickens).
Okay, we can do this, I thought (but I was dragging. VBS really wore me out last week). We loaded up the seven ducklings in a bucket and placed them in the car while we retrieved the necessary equipment. I left the car door open because it doesn't open from the outside presently. And Tom, the orange tomcat saw his chance and nabbed one of the ducklings for supper (so seven went down to six).
This morning Shannon will probably be bringing more home because some of the eggs hadn't hatched yet.
What have I learned about ducklings?
-- They're quick.
-- They're very alert. They must have good eyesight. I'll have to look that up.
-- They're noisy at night. Had to shut our bedroom door and turn the fan on high.
-- They like to sit in water (duh. They're ducks).
-- Their webbed feet and bills are absolutely adorable at this stage.
-- They move in groups. And here is an interesting fact for you. According to this site, a group of ducks is called rafts or teams.
Whenever I get close to a part of creation I usually don't get to get close to it reminds me so much of God's diversity and creativity and love for all His creatures. God wants these ducklings to survive. That's why they are so alert and they move together and are quick at less than 24 hours old.
"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And yet not one of them is forgotten by God." Luke 12:6
If God has equipped these ducklings with necessary survival characteristics, how much more will He give us what we need in our daily lives. He loves the little sparrows and ducklings, but we, His kids, are of far more value to Him. "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows (or ducklings)." Luke 12:7