"A mother duck hatches her eggs and, while most of her ducklings are normal, one is gray, too large, and too clumsy to fit in among the others. Though she tries to accept him, the entire barnyard realizes that he simply does not belong and after a period of harassment he leaves (or is driven away) to fend for himself. He wanders for the entire summer and fall, for no one will take him in, and he nearly freezes to death in an icy pond. Though he is rescued by a human, he cannot live in captivity, and he goes back to the wild.

By the end of winter he is miraculously still alive. He comes to a pond in a park or garden, where beautiful white swans are swimming. He is drawn to their beauty, though he has no reason to think that they will treat him better than anyone else has. Still, he thinks, even if they kill him, he must approach them. To his surprise, the beautiful creatures welcome and accept him; gazing at his reflection, he sees that he too is a swan. The children declare that he is the most beautiful swan of them all, yet he isn't proud for a good heart is never proud. Because of all that he suffered he now appreciates his happiness so much more. "It doesn't matter that you were born in a duck yard, so long as you have lain inside a swan's egg.""

Don't you think that the irony of this story lies in the birth of the swan in the coop of the ducks? How did the egg of the swan ends up among the other eggs of the ducks? Makes us ponder doesn't we? As we reflect on this simple story, do we find ourselves going through what the poor ugly duckling went through? As we wandered on our own in search for a place we could belong and only to find that everywhere that we turn to, the doors were shut at our face. Life is filled with disappointments and disappointments comes in many forms. First of all, people will disappoint us. Family will disappoint us, friends will disappoint us, our loved ones will disappoint us. At the point of life when we find ourselves devoid of all hope, there is always a shining ray of hope that gives us the meaning to life.

The poor duckling was rescued by a man, our poor soul devoid of of hope was rescued by the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. Ever wonder how did the duckling ends up by the pond? Did the duckling ever moved out of the places where he is familiar with? No. The duckling was found by the icy pond. Its natural habitat. The man came to the rescue of the poor duckling and mind you no one would ever enter into a forest in an icy cold winter.

Why don't we take a moment to think. Ever wonder how did we ended up at the feet of Jesus? Perhaps we've met him in a camp, after a life-changing experience, through a friend, through a stranger, through our parents, through our church. Was it our own effort to get to know Jesus? Or was He the one that came into our lives. Our natural habitat. To rescue us from freezing to death. The transformation took place. The process of turning from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan happened over the span of winter in the man's care. The transformation of our lives took place and is still taking place in Christ's care.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Ugly duckling to Beautiful Swan)

Sometimes we just missed the whole point of being a new creation. Here is a good point that can be taken from the story:-

"He is drawn to their beauty, though he has no reason to think that they will treat him better than anyone else has. Still, he thinks, even if they kill him, he must approach them.To his surprise, the beautiful creatures welcome and accept him; gazing at his reflection, he sees that he too is a swan."

Sounds familiar? Am I worthy enough to be a Christian? Do i fit to be one? Oh if only they knew what I've done. How could I ever be with them? (other Christians) By being a new creation our old self is dead. It is gone. We are no longer an ugly duckling. Look into the reflection of the water. What do you see? Do you see yourself or do you see Christ? Do you see the beautiful person you are? If you are still doubting here's something to help you.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

ALL. So there is no one that is left that is not forgiven as long as we ask. May we be as swans that reflects the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. Let us follow the humility of the ugly duckling that bears the beauty and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be reminded it is Christ that has given us the hope of life and a chance to change to be a Swan. It doesn't matter how and who we were in the past, as long as we are in Christ Jesus today.

From Duck to Swan.
Signing out at 4.24pm-9th March 2007.