Ugly Duckling
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
Most of us know the story “The Ugly Duckling” written by Hans Christian Anderson. It’s a story of an egg that some how gets in the nest of a duck. The egg was unusual looking but the motherly instincts of the duck caused her to nurture it along with her duck eggs. The same was true when it hatched, the “duckling” that came out of the strange egg looked very different from the other ducklings. The mother duck continued to love and nurture this “ugly duckling” until one day she had to send him away out of the barnyard because of all the torment, taunting and rejection that he was suffering at the hands of the other barnyard animals.
To make a very long story short (or a little short, you know how I get carried away sometimes), the “duckling” suffered much rejection even in the outside world. Time past and it wasn’t until he was beginning to give up all hope when he stumbled onto the scene of a lake where beautiful Swans were swimming. As he got closer and the Swans noticed him, instead of receiving the taunts and rejection that he had become accustomed to, the Swans instead welcomed him into their midst. While swimming with these beautiful birds the “Ugly duckling” got a glimpse of his reflection in the lake and saw to his surprise that he himself had grown into a beautiful swan!
A literary critic once asked Hans Christian Anderson would he ever write his autobiography and he is reported as replying, “I did, it’s called “The Ugly duckling.”
So much of this fairy tale rings true of the way people may see us and the way God sees us. I know that in my own life most times I feel so inadequate. I have come a long way but there are still times that I question my importance and worth. We all have felt rejection and ridicule. We’ve been hurt and betrayed.
And I speak only for myself; I know I’m not an attractive person when compared to others. (Especially my feet, I have the strangest looking toes) If you think about it long enough, you can get depressed!
But that’s the key you don’t meditate on the negative things, you began to see yourself as God sees us. He sees us as a completed work. He sees us as His finished product. We just have to walk it out. We’ll go through the things mentioned above but if we stay strong, we’ll come out “looking” like what He has ordained for us to be, a victorious woman or man of God!
I Corinthians 13:11-13 says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
Hold on, be strong, God is still working in our lives, we may not be yet what we will be, but we are no longer what we were! God is not finished with us! Be encouraged!
Philippians 1:6
Most of us know the story “The Ugly Duckling” written by Hans Christian Anderson. It’s a story of an egg that some how gets in the nest of a duck. The egg was unusual looking but the motherly instincts of the duck caused her to nurture it along with her duck eggs. The same was true when it hatched, the “duckling” that came out of the strange egg looked very different from the other ducklings. The mother duck continued to love and nurture this “ugly duckling” until one day she had to send him away out of the barnyard because of all the torment, taunting and rejection that he was suffering at the hands of the other barnyard animals.
To make a very long story short (or a little short, you know how I get carried away sometimes), the “duckling” suffered much rejection even in the outside world. Time past and it wasn’t until he was beginning to give up all hope when he stumbled onto the scene of a lake where beautiful Swans were swimming. As he got closer and the Swans noticed him, instead of receiving the taunts and rejection that he had become accustomed to, the Swans instead welcomed him into their midst. While swimming with these beautiful birds the “Ugly duckling” got a glimpse of his reflection in the lake and saw to his surprise that he himself had grown into a beautiful swan!
A literary critic once asked Hans Christian Anderson would he ever write his autobiography and he is reported as replying, “I did, it’s called “The Ugly duckling.”
So much of this fairy tale rings true of the way people may see us and the way God sees us. I know that in my own life most times I feel so inadequate. I have come a long way but there are still times that I question my importance and worth. We all have felt rejection and ridicule. We’ve been hurt and betrayed.
And I speak only for myself; I know I’m not an attractive person when compared to others. (Especially my feet, I have the strangest looking toes) If you think about it long enough, you can get depressed!
But that’s the key you don’t meditate on the negative things, you began to see yourself as God sees us. He sees us as a completed work. He sees us as His finished product. We just have to walk it out. We’ll go through the things mentioned above but if we stay strong, we’ll come out “looking” like what He has ordained for us to be, a victorious woman or man of God!
I Corinthians 13:11-13 says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
Hold on, be strong, God is still working in our lives, we may not be yet what we will be, but we are no longer what we were! God is not finished with us! Be encouraged!
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