Devotion for today

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We are in Little Rock at an education conference, hosted at the Peabody Hotel. I've never gotten to stay here, so this has been a real treat for me. Today, I managed to get downstairs at 11:00 in time to see the "March of the Ducks". I'm so glad I did. The ducks get on the glass elevator and ride down to the lobby while the speakers blare the Duck March. As soon as they get on at the 2nd floor, 5 little heads start popping up against the glass looking out. They appeared so eager to see what was going on below them! As a crowd of about 2 dozen watch in awe, they march single file down the red carpet (yes, I said red carpet) from the elevator, up the stairs and get into the fountain. The last duck in the row was a beautiful mallard, but was noticably smaller than the rest. When he; and I'm guessing at gender here; got to the top of the staircase, he dove into the water, where the others just seemed to glide in. He immediately dunked his whole head under, and came up shaking it, getting the duck next to him wet. She began to quack at him, almost as if she were scolding him. Of course, the kids gathered around the fountain thought this was funny and began to clap. Which caused him to do it again. I couldn't help thinking of a small child, who can turn on the silliness and become the comedian very quickly in order to gain a group's attention---and the mother who is trying to make him behave, while everyone else is laughing. His handler explained that he was the youngest and newest member of the group and while he had made great strides since becoming a member of the Peabody Ducks, that he still showed signs of immaturity. I sometimes feel like that in my Christian life. I'm walking along, praying for guidance and following that "red carpet" path that God has laid out for me. But then I get to the top of the stairs and everything is going great, and I just let go and plunge into the water. Doing what Paula wants to do...and not what God wants Paula to do. But as soon as I surface, there's usually a gentle rebuke from God: "What in the world are you doing?" Sometimes, that gentle rebuke is all I need. Other times, it takes God allowing me to wander for awhile, allowing me to make a mess of my life, before I come back to him with a humble heart and once again seek His will for my life. Psalm 19:8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.