Family Portrait

A mama duck with her babies, posing for "a family portrait"

In our neighborhood, there are a number of ponds. Within two of them have been added fountains like this one. On this particular morning, we spotted this mama duck with her (late) set of babies. They are sitting on top of its structure. Their timing was quite good, because it usually begins to flow about a half hour from when I captured this shot. I thought it striking because Doug and I both thought their pose to be: as a family portrait.

Mama and her babies paused so sweetly in this setting. And as you see, their forms made the perfect reflection on the water. It did indeed, appear that she and her babes posed for this keepsake, so perfectly positioned were they to display each chick and bill. She keeps them closely guarded, protected, tended, and provided for. To me, she was the picture of reliance upon her Creator—of standing upon the source of life-giving streams of flowing water, and knowing where her sustenance comes from.

Dear Lord, may the things that we do, the places we go, the way we represent You—create of our lives, a family portrait in Your likeness. May we display Your loving-kindness and leave a wake of Your hope, joy, and peace in our neighborhoods. And whether we are still or in motion, may it be abundantly clear, that You are Lord, Master, Shepherd, and Guide. For the legacy that we long to leave, is to bear the marks of Your character. May the ripples of our steps show that we follow You, alone. Amen.

“We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 HCSB

Family portraits are keepsakes within a family. They are cherished memories of one moment spent together. They display how we resemble our parents, our siblings. And as a child of God—our emulation of Christ—should be reflected, mirrored, in the ways that we love, in the ways that we live, every day.

2 Pause and Praise Creations ©

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