The "Duck"

I just finished a five hour stint with a family that I've been watching a few days each week this summer. While I did consider going to bed, since it will only be nine hours until I'm walking through their door once again, I decided to share a story with you instead.

The three year-old had just been tucked into bed when he emerged with a look on his face that said, "There is a matter on my mind of utmost importance."

"I need my duck," he said simply. The "duck," as he affectionately calls it, is his two-legged, stringy-haired platypus, and I was very familiar with it, as it was my saving grace one day when he had a half-hour weeping fest.

But that is a different God story for a different time.

We started a search for the duck which began in his bed and gradually moved to every other room in the house.

"You know, Lauren, you could pray that I would help you find the duck. What a great lesson it would be for the kids!" Jesus said.

I thought to myself that Jesus had bigger fish to fry (just like I usually do) and continued the search.

After we returned to the little boy's bedroom, I reluctantly tried to explain to him that sometimes we have to go to sleep without our ducks.

"But I need my duck."

He looked at me with his dark chocolate brown eyes and my heart melted.

After an inward sigh and roll of the eyes and a quick, "This had better work!" to God, I said, "Why don't we pray and ask God to help us find the duck!"

Five minutes later, when we had resolved the issue that, yes, Jesus can indeed talk to us and no, Santa would be of no help in this situation, I prayed a quick prayer.

"Tell Him that the duck has black eyes and white fur!" the five year-old chimed in after my amen.

I added those details just to make sure that He understood who we were looking for.

When Duck magically emerged about two minutes later, (he had been wrapped tightly under the covers in the bed and yes, I do believe that God who helped me find him,) the three year-old said a quick prayer of thanks.    

"Thank you, God, for this food." Here he paused, trying to remember what else he needed to say to God. Then he remembered. "I have my duck back!"

I'll bet God cared more about us finding that two-legged, stringy-haired platypus than I did.