Last night I learned something from a chicken.....again! It all began as we were preparing to leave on an unexpected errand to take our only vehicle in for repairs. We live quite a distance from the auto dealership so we were all hustling to get going as my husband pulled in from work to pick us up. As we were piling into the car my oldest daughter noticed that the chickens were all still out running around the yard and was worried that she should go put them in their pens. Since we were in a hurry my husband and I told her they would be fine since we would not be gone very long and the youngest chickens were all inside an electric fence. So, on to get the truck fixed.

It turned out that we had to leave the truck which meant we had to wait around to get a loaner. It really did not take overly long but by the time we were finished we decided that since we were in a town we had not explored before maybe we should get dinner out. Being as we went to a family diner the service was a little slow so dinner took quite a bit longer than we expected. Upon leaving I realized that we were in an area of the town that I had been to before so I decided I should drive us home since I remembered the way. Not too long after we left we came upon a road that my husband said was the way to go. I in turn confidently told him that I was the one who had been to the area and that was indeed not the right way. He insisted it was but choosing to ignore him I continued going my way. Not too far down my choosen road I realized that I was heading in the wrong direction so we turned back. Again my husband told me which way to go but I ignored him again. Well, after driving around for about 15 minutes and not getting anywhere I ended up back where my husband had originally said to turn and this time I turned. Low and behold but he was right! He was not too thrilled with me for not listening to him and the ride home was not all that pleasant due to the brooding silence next to me in the passenger seat.

At home it was quite dark when we pulled into the drive and my first thoughts were of the chickens. We have three different pens with various groups and the two older groups were all snuggled on their roosts but when we went to the pen with the younger scared of the dark chicks (see previous blog) we only saw a few on their roost once we turned on the light. Out of fourteen chicks four were on the roost and eight were cowering in a corner all piled on top of each other. It seems that only a few of them were able to find their way in the dark. I placed the eight scaredy cats on their roost and upon doing so realized we were missing two. Previously they had all refused to go into the pen when it was dark so I quickly went to check and make sure they were not still in the yard. I had my husbands industrial flash light and still saw nothing. After searching a little more the beam fell upon something in the tree sitting in the middle of the yard. Finally one chick found! My youngest daughter retreaved her from her branch and deposited her safely into the coop. I searched further growing ever so worried about the remaining lost pullet Izzy our only partridge rock. After a while my husband came out to help look and took the flashlight while I was in the coop counting again to make sure she was actually not hiding behind somebody. He went searching in the dark to places I could not go without a flashlight of my own. Quickly my worry and irritation at not having a flashlight increased as he continued to search while I had to stand there doing nothing. I very much wanted to be in control of this search and felt helpless and angry at my husband (who was oblivious to my ire) for keeping me literally in the dark! Soon, however my husband returned to the coop and I quickly grabbed the flashlight and told him in a not so nice way that he had been looking in all the WRONG places. He took this rather well considering our previous control issues in the car but remained with me as I walked the yard fervently searching for my lost pullet. It did not take long for me to realize that looking was futile in the dark especially since she is our darkest colored chick. Even with the flashlight I felt so helpless! I truly despised being in the dark and not being able to find my chick! Seeing my evident lack of composure and not liking it one bit my husband looked at me and told me that if I did not calm down he would not ever allow me to purchase one more animal since it was clear to him that I was not capable of dealing with the issues that arise all the time with livestock.

His words hit home and suddenly it occured to me that no matter what the circumstances are I am never in control, that the only one pulling any strings on my life is my Heavenly Father. What was I doing getting so upset when there was no way I could change anything anyway?I was left feeling very ashamed of myself but I also felt a sense of peace after I realized that I did not have to worry about my chick since even in the dark God could see and protect her. Knowing Izzy would be safe in his hands my husband and I went inside.

Later, after putting the kids to bed and praying with them as they entreated the Lord to not take another chick from them I went in search of my husband.  He had cooled off considerably and I asked his forgiveness for not being submissive to him and for not trusting him to know what is best for us as the Lord has directed him to do. It seemed that I learned a lot from that chicken. It became ever so clear to me that I had a need to control even if I believed that I was following as the Lord was directing me. When I was in the dark and the control was taken from me it became known to me that even in the light of day I am not in the drivers seat of my life. I have also been stepping in front of my husband quite a lot as well. It is no wonder I have been feeling so lonely, discouraged  and overwhelmed. I was trying to do it all by myself!  I was trying to walk alone, leaving God behind which in turn led me open to attack and doomed to fail. That evening I prayed for forgiveness and asked my Father God to again take the lead in my daily life, he told me he would be ever so pleased to do so and I quickly fell to sleep.

This moring I awoke earlier than normal feeling an overwhelming need to go out into the yard. Normally I take the time to put my contacts in and get dressed but today I just followed that inner voice and plopped my glasses on and went outside. Low and behold but the first thing I laid eyes on was Izzy walking nervously around by herself. She was safe and sound just as the Lord promised me she would be if I would give it to him to worry about. Isn't it just like our Lord to use a chicken to lead us back to him?

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Posted by smmagers

Aren't chickens wonderful teachers? Animals are just wonderful teachers of Gods word.
God Bless, mj

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