Ducks In a Row

I still remember the day this picture came across my phone from Millie Grace’s Pre-K teacher.

A row of proud little hands, each holding up a perfectly cut paper duck.

Except one.

Millie Grace’s duck didn’t quite match the rest. The edges were jagged, uneven, and really wide.

My heart sank. “She’s behind,” I thought. For weeks, I had her cutting everything in sight -magazine pages, construction paper, and scraps from the junk drawer. I was determined to help her catch up.

But now? Looking back, I laugh.

Because that little girl who couldn’t cut straight is now the most creative soul I know. She doesn’t just make things – she imagines, she dreams, she brings beauty to life in her own way.

And I see God’s hand all over her story.

God’s Design Isn’t About Perfect Ducks

What looked like a weakness was really a gift in disguise. It didn’t fit into neat lines or tidy standards. But it was never meant to.

I believe God was shaping something in her heart that scissors could never measure. A creative spark. A willingness to see the world differently. The courage to let her “duck” look different from everyone else’s.

Isn’t that what He does with all of us? He doesn’t make carbon copies. He creates originals.

Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

That includes the jagged edges. The wide cuts. The parts that don’t match.

A Reminder for Mamas

Mamas, if your daughter’s duck looks different – take heart.

God isn’t measuring her against a classroom row of perfect paper cutouts. He’s writing a story in her life that’s uniquely hers.

And you, Mama, have the sacred role of cheering her on, even when it looks different from what you expected.

For the Journey Ahead

Today, that imperfect paper duck is one of my favorite memories. It reminds me that sometimes the places where we feel “behind” are the very places God is growing something extraordinary.

So, if your daughter’s duck doesn’t match; just celebrate it. Lean in. See what God might be shaping. Because those differences just might be the seeds of her greatest