Curren Elizabeth Bell

School: Greens Farms Academy
Grade: 12
This is my first year at Young Writers Institute
I learned how to formulate my own ideas and prompts to form coherent essays and papers

DuckzVickie leaned forward so I could lift my arm over h

My arm felt odd–actually there was no feeling in it at all. Using my shoulder I swung arm forward until it was above the steering wheel, pointing at the windshield. My arm wouldn't respond to my effort to bend it one sunny July morning, Jeff and I went walking up to the Mt. Tabor reservoirs. We stopped to gaze between iron railings at placid green waters when I noticed five little ducklings paddling along the steep concrete side.The mother seemed to be gone. One duckling would swim around the other four to be first in line, then one or two more would do the same; and so they leapfrogged their way confidently along the edge of the water.

Soon they reached the more gentle slope of an access road where they seemed to lose their sense of purpose and began swimming in five different directions. As if she noticed her children wandering, Mother Duck came circling down, calling out her admonitions. She glided to a smooth landing on the water, quacked patiently, and waited for all her errant charges to find their ways back.

How often we, God¹s people, are like those ducklings, complacent in our paddling, until something unexpected confuses the path. Then we wander off in all directions trying to figure out where to go next.

But the Lord is near, always watching over us, calling out His admonitions. And we must listen carefully, because He is patiently calling His people back to Himself. All we need do is follow His voice. May we be obedient little ducklings!