"It's okay, I've got you."

Trolley ride through the Rivermarket - $2.00
Watching the Peabody ducks march back upstairs - $0
Spending time with my wife and kids - Priceless

Okay, sorry I beat that dead commercial but it really was priceless. Anyway, I'm squatted down in the Peabody lobby with Jackson waiting for the Duck Master to cue the fowl. Jackson is used to ducks because he feeds them down at the lake. So we perch ourselves up front with our toes right on the edge of the red carpet - front row, reach-out-and-touch-em seats right at the bottom of their stairs. When they climb out of that fountain we can shake their hands?...feet?...wings?

I'm positioned behind Jackson with my hands on his arms - doing the whole "daddy commentator" thing. The Duck Master cues the music and let the show begin. As soon as that first duck starts down the stairs Jackson tenses up and begins backing up into my chest, pushing ever so slightly to allow a lot more distance between him and that quacker. Then the whole downy family heads right for us (or so it seems to a 2 year old). Let the pushin' and shovin' begin!

"It's okay buddy...I've got you. They won't hurt you. I'm right here with you. Daddy is bigger than those ducks and I won't let them hurt you."

I wanted him to work through his uncomfortableness (new word) so that next time he will be more relaxed. So with that he settled down just in time to see the ducks load in the elevator, give a rousing wing flap goodbye, and off they were to their little duck house on the second floor. In less than a minute it was all over. And Jackson stood there...applauding to his heart's content.

Hmmm. Got me to thinkin'...

How many times in my life am I faced with uncertainty and as I try to push back on my life God says, "It's okay...I've got you. I'm right here with you. I am bigger than this and I will protect you."

But I keep pushing away from what makes me uncomfortable. But God wants me to work through my uncomfortableness so that next time I will be better equipped to handle it. What looks menacing and dangerous and insurmountable to me is no match for the God of the universe. And He wants nothing more than to celebrate with me as I load my challenge on the elevator and send it up.

Then He will stand there...applauding to my heart's content.

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy.

Deuteronomy 33:27