4 Lessons From "The Ugly Ducklng"

“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister ? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”—Romans 14: 10 and 13 (KJV)

Trees

The images above are of a lemon tree and an apple tree. Each plant bears a practical fruit. There are some differences, though:

• Taste
• Touch
• Appearance
• Smell
• Recipe usage

Does that mean lemons are more valuable than apples, or vice versa? No, both foods are important in their own way.  Apples shouldn’t judge lemons as being “lesser”, and lemons can’t say they’re more useful than apples. That wouldn’t make sense. We need both fruits.

“The Ugly Duckling “ (Fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, published 1844)

When you’ve been bullied, and limited, your whole life—as I have—any story about an underdog turning into a beauty, or winning a race, is uplifting. I decided to revisit this famous tale. It speaks to the soul of every undervalued person.

The Story

A mother duck lays some eggs. Or, rather, she thinks she has laid all of these eggs. When the ducklings are born, all but one is cute, fuzzy, and probably yellow—just as good ducks should be, right? The underrated baby animal is grey with a black bill. It is labeled as ugly and different.

The poor bird is abused, beaten, pecked, and kicked out from several places. He feels no understanding or love. Fellow ducks say he’s ugly. A hen underrates him because he can’t lay eggs. A cat disrespects the bird because he is unable to purr.

After some time, the bird looks in the water. He seems more like the classy birds he’d admired earlier: swans. A group of swans soon returns to the lake where the growing bird is swimming. He is immediately embraced as one of their own.

Lessons

·       If you don’t fit in, there’s probably a group more suited to your abilities and interests. A square peg isn’t suited to a round hole. Arrogant people will try to place you in their small categories/boxes, but you may suit another box better. For instance, King David became more than a shepherd boy, as much as his brothers wanted to keep him down.

·       Find out where you belong. There are people who will accept and empower you.

·       We all have our unique set of skills and abilities. You don’t have to excel in the same things as your neighbors—or even your siblings. For example, I substitute teach young special needs students quite often. They are not strong in academics; however, their spirits can be full of love and acceptance.

·       Don’t judge anyone by how they seem today. We’re all works in progress. Today’s homeless person could be tomorrow’s business tycoon or entertainment celebrity.

My Conclusion

“Our uniqueness, our individuality, and our life experience molds us into fascinating beings. I hope we can embrace that. I pray we may all challenge ourselves to delve into the deepest resources of our hearts to cultivate an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, tolerance, and compassion. We are all in this life together.”-- Linda Thompson (from brainyquotes.com)

Do you accept your divine uniqueness?