Climb Like a Duck?

“The greatest weakness of all is the great fear of appearing weak.” ~Bishop Jacques Benigne Bossuel, French bishop and theologian (1627-1704)


“Once upon a time the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world” so they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school so nobody worried about that, except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of the class in running but had a nervous breakdown because of so much makeup work in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying class where his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of the treetop down. He also developed a “charlie horse” from overexertion and then got a C in climbing and a D in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree but insisted on using his own way to get there.

At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceeding well and also run, climb and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.

The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging and burrowing to the curriculum. They apprenticed their children to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful private school.” ~*The Animal School: A Fable by George Reavis


When God created us in our mother’s womb He made us a unique individual unlike any other. He blessed us with certain gifts and not with others. God loved us into being, putting us here with a purpose and the necessary time, talent and treasure to achieve that purpose. Yet, almost from birth, we start receiving a different message. Personal achievement becomes the goal.


What we perceive as weaknesses (or the gifts we didn’t receive, because we didn’t need them to achieve God’s purpose) become things to be addressed, shored up, improved upon or hidden. As we grow family, friends, teachers, coaches, etc. impose their own expectations upon us. Stereotypes are applied (cultural, sexual, et cetera) and we quickly find ourselves moving away from what God intended us to be. Those who told us we could be anything we wanted to be (or anything they wanted us to be) misled us unintentionally or otherwise. We can only really be what God intended and that is when we become fully alive


But, rather than glorify God by using the gifts he gave us we seem driven to accept a strange sort of mediocrity. Is it our egos which drive us to try to be at least average at everything? Why is it not OK to be great at some things and not so good at others?


Our society feeds this need to fix things which really don’t need fixing…fixing God’s creation which is us. Using our gifts give us momentum. Fixing weaknesses weighs us down. Like the animals in the story, the more we work at the things at which we are not good, the more unhappy we become. Why pursue that which fails to satisfy? Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly, not the other way around.


Pursuing the gifts we do not possess is stressful, emotionally draining, and physically harmful. Even more unfortunate, this pursuit of non-gifts draws our focus and energy away from development and pursuit of our true gifts. The result being, like the duck in the story, we end up not being very good at anything.


We begin life equipped to turn our backs to the wind and allow God’s plan to unfold before us. Instead we turn into the headwind and stagger forward, taking difficult steps, making little real progress. We choose to spend time and energy trying to make gifts of our non-gifts and ignore the gifts we have been given. It seems impossible to admit we are not good at something and yet that simple admission may be one of the most freeing moments we ever experience.


Dear God: Thank you for creating me. Help me to embrace my gifts and be free.


“If you think a weakness can be turned into a strength, I hate to tell you this, but that’s another weakness.” Jack Handey, American writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003 (b 1949).


* The Animal School was written when George Reavis, the Assistant Superintendent of the Cincinnati Public Schools back in the 1940's. This content is in the public domain and free to copy, duplicate, and distribute.


© 2010 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.

“90 Second Stewardship” All rights are reserved. You are welcome and encouraged to forward this e-mail to family and friends provided the”© 2010 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” is included along with this message. Organizations, whether for or non profit, are required to receive written approval before reproducing these reflections. If written approval is given the ”© 2010 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” must be included along with this message.