A kindergarten teacher handed out a coloring page to her class. On it was a picture of a duck holding an umbrella. The teacher told her class to color the duck yellow and the umbrella green.
But little Johnny, who always did things his way, colored the duck a bright fire-engine red.
After seeing this, the teacher said, “Johnny, how many times have you seen a red duck?”
Without looking up, Johnny replied, “The same number of times I’ve seen a yellow duck holding an umbrella.”
Johnny was no doubt a creative little boy, and my guess would be that he would go far in life. Many of us don’t take the time or look close enough to see the obvious things in life.
As a pilot, I am required to inspect my airplane before every takeoff. On one occasion, I walked around the airplane to assure that everything was in working order as I had done hundreds of times before. Then I climbed into the pilot seat and started the plane.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man running toward me waving his arms. I shut the engine down and climbed down from the cockpit.
“You have a flat tire,” he said, pointing to my totally deflated front tire. Obviously I had looked without seeing.
I love the fact that God sees everything, even red ducks and the innermost thoughts of our heart. By the way, Johnny, I don’t think I have ever seen either a red duck or a yellow duck.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13).
Can you think of a time when you have looked but not seen? [reminder]
This post is adapted from Ken’s Devotional book Lighten up and Live! 90 Light-hearted Devotions to Brighten Your Day. A perfect way to start your morning. Get it here.
Comments
Oh, goodness, Ken! I read the whole article without questioning the picture! Baby ducks are not yellow! Peeps/baby chickens are yellow! Perfect example of looking without seeing! Love this. Thanks for your humor, but also for your spiritual wisdom and discernment. I have gone through many a grumpy day only to be relieved of my grumpiness after hearing you speak on the radio. What a blessing you are. ; )
YES TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT……YOUR POSTS ARE GREAT ….THANK YOU
Yep! When I was looking for a flashlight I had just used. It was in my back pocket.
Actually, lots of little ducklings are yellow! We used to watch them hatch out of their eggs on the back of our slow combustion stove, where we had put them in a box to keep them warm. Their mothers weren’t very good at staying sitting on their nests, and often the eggs would go cold, and the ducklings die. I love stories about ducks, but especially stories about children. Thank Ken, you are an inspiration to us! May God bless and support you!
What a great revelation for me today. I have noticed that I have looked…but didn’t see. I need to pay close attention to details.