There were once some mallards that had made their home on a pond inside a country farm. Beside the pond was a big red barn to protect the ducks during stormy or cold winter weather. There was plenty of food in the barn and lots of other animals to keep them company.

In due season, every year on the way to a warmer climate, wild ducks would soar directly over the farm where the mallards lazily floated on their pond.

Whenever the wild ducks would fly overhead, they would quack a call to the tame mallards below, saying something like, “Come on you guys, we’re all going to California for the winter – come and join us!”

There was something instinctively wild in the hearts of the ducks on the pond, so they WOULD flap their wings in an attempt to rise and offer a weak “quack, quack” as if to say, “Wait for us, we’re coming!”

But they never got off the pond. In the end, they preferred the easy life of free food and shelter in the barn over the natural call of the wild.

Last week, I asked three questions of those of us who want success: Can we handle it when we get it? Have we done our preliminary homework? And, unlike the comfortable mallards on the pond, are we ready to fly when opportunity knocks?

In the Bible story of Joshua, when he conquered the land of Canaan that God had promised to Israel, the nation under his leadership stood on the doorstep of success. They knew who they were, what God’s plan for them was and they were able to achieve it — but the process was still challenging.

One of the tribes of Israel, the sons of Joseph, came to their leader one day during those turbulent times and boldly requested a bigger slice of the pie.

“We want more land. After all, we’re the children of the great Joseph (you remember the guy with the coat of many colours) and we are a numerous people, so give us more!”

Joshua’s answer was insightful and probing: “Have you settled in the land you’ve already received?”

“Well no,” they countered, “there are too many adversaries, and they have iron chariots, and besides that, there are too many trees to cut down. It’s just too much work — so give us more land!”

Do you see the problem? It’s like a salesman who wants to be a sales manager but has never been a success at selling; or like a student who wants to go to university but has never worked hard in high school. It won’t happen.

You have to prepare for success.

Do you need to take some courses? What about personal counselling or 12 Steps to deal with some ongoing dysfunction? Are you doing well with what you’ve been given?

The old saying goes, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’re going to get what you’ve always gotten.”

Lord, deliver us from dreamers who are like the fat mallards on the pond. Life does not pass out prizes to those who sit around and eat Twinkies. Success does not fall from the sky and land in your glove.

We’ve got to step up to the plate, keep our eye on the ball and swing with all of our might when it comes.

Barry Buzza (www.barrybuzza.com and http://barrybuzza.blogspot.com) is senior pastor at Northside church in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.