Monday, July 25, 2016

A CHICKEN STORY


Her name was Henny Penny.

A cute little black-and-white-feathered chicken.

Let me tell you how she and I became friends.

Many years ago, I lived in a small, two-bedroom rental.  It was a quaint little place – I really liked it.

Except it was on the corner of an intersection that had all kinds of activity.

Evidently, I was the unknowing tenant who resided on "Dead Man's Curve."  In the four years that I lived there, there were at least two bad car accidents, and many near misses.

But I digress.


Suffice it to say, I was used to random *bustle* outside the door.

But one morning, I heard all this shouting.  Looking outside the window, I saw several children, yelling and throwing rocks into the yard!

Of course, like an avenging angel, I swooped out and shouted"What are you DOING?"

Amidst a cacophony of high-pitched screeching, I was able to determine that their chicken had "escaped" their backyard up the street, and landed in the tree in my side yard.

They wanted it back.

Well, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that these kids were hooligans, and that that poor chicken had barely escaped with her life.

I told them that she was in my backyard, and they weren't allowed on my property.

Grumbling threats – (did I hear someone say *cherry bomb*?) – they stomped off. 

Only to return about half an hour later with a couple of dads in tow.

More shouting, more threats.

However, I basically told them that I wasn't about to let anyone climb a ladder on my property (liability), that they’d better stop their kids (brats) from throwing rocks at my house (let alone the chicken), and if she had a mind to stay – well, that was her choice.

I think they came back another time or two.  I held my ground.  And they gave up.


Well, there she was – Henny Penny – firmly roosted in my tree.

I felt sorry for her.

She'd stay out there all night – in the dark and the cold.

Every time I woke up, I'd see her in the tree.  Every time I'd come home after dark, I'd see her in the tree.  Even when it rained and stormed, I'd see her in the tree.

A few times I saw her on the ground, but as soon as I opened the back door and went outside, she'd fly back up to the tree for safety.

I remember thinking, "How can I get her to trust me?"

Well, of course it's no surprise that she didn't.  After all, who knows what terrible treatment she received at the mercy of those other (horrible) people??

So, I launched a campaign to win her trust.

I'd go out every day and talk to her.  I'd say good night every night.  I'd put chicken feed out for her on the ground.

After a long time, several weeks as I recall, she'd finally stay on the ground when I was outside.  Then, she'd let me get closer and closer to her.

And then…one day…I left the back door open when I went back into the house. 

She walked up the steps and looked in. 

But, as soon as I stepped toward her – back to the tree.


Finally, one day she didn't leave.  

She walked right into my house and let me pick her up!!!

It was so very cool.

From that day forward, she would come into the house every day. 

I can remember picking her up and putting her on my lap, where she'd nestle in and take a nap while I stroked her little red comb and feathers.

It made me so very happy.

I had finally been able to communicate to her that I wasn't like all the other people she had known.  I wasn't mean and vindictive.  

I was kind and gentle and loving – I could be trusted.


I still think about Henny...

And about trust.

Sometimes, in my relationship with God, I'm just like she was – skittish, unsure, scared, distrustful.

Sometimes I base my trust on my past experiences. 

I judge God's character by the various "characters" that have peppered my past. 

I rate His trustworthiness by the people in my life who have hurt, disappointed, rejected, and criticized me.

I stay in the tree.

But isn't there a HUGE part of God's heart that is desperate to show me that HE is not those other people? 

That He is kind and gentle and loving?

That He is eminently worth every ounce of my trust?

It seems to me that in some ways, God is always wooing us "into the house" to rest in His arms.

He is always seeking to show us that He is a very safe place to land.  

He wants us to hide in the shadow of His wings – secure, with no thought of fear.


Yes, I finally won Henny's heart.

But God did an amazing thing to prove His love – He gave up His Son.

Today, I hear Him calling me. 

I see Him standing in the doorway, beckoning me inside where it's warm and safe.


"Sharon, won't you please come down from that tree?"


You know, I think I will.

It's better than sitting out here in the dark!




Do your past experiences ever keep you from trusting God completely today?






Sometimes
God calls us
to break out of our shells.




"'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.'" (John 10:27-28, ESV)

"'And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.'" (John 6:39, NLT)

"And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security." (Job 11:18, ESV)

"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain..." (Hebrews 6:19, ESV)

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure." (Psalm 40:1-2, ESV)

"Those who fear the LORD are secure..." (Proverbs 14:26, NLT)


"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the LORD:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him...

He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day...
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you...

If you make the LORD your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you...
For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands...

The LORD says, 'I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.'"


(From Psalm 91, NLT)



Linked with:

SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, MONDAY OF MANY BLESSINGS, THANK GOODNESS IT'S MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY, MUSING MONDAYS, MODEST MONDAY, MOTIVATION MONDAY, LIVING PROVERBS, MOM-TO-MOM MONDAY, MOMENTS OF HOPE, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAYUNITE LINKUP, WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, WISE WOMAN, THE HOMEMAKING PARTY, TELL HIS STORY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, WEDDED WEDNESDAY, THE LOFT LINKUP, GRACE MOMENTS, GROWING IN GRACE, THANKFUL THURSDAYS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, PARTY AT MY PLACE, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, FUNTASTIC FRIDAY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, TGI SATURDAYS, FRIDAY FEATURE PARTY, WEEKEND WIND DOWN PARTY, REWIND FRIDAY, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

33 comments:

  1. So cute with the chicken! You did have to build up that trust indeed with her, something God does in our lives with answers to prayer, getting us out of situations, etc. My past experiences should have me trusting in God more with how faithful he is. I continue to work on it though and am trying to say "I trust in you Lord" and let it go without taking things back. Hard some days and some situations.

    betty

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  2. Oh yes, Sharon...what a chicken story! I was here earlier but on my Smart tv so I could not comment when I first read this but immediately with "Henny Penny" I thought but "the sky isn't falling?" or is it? and I wouldn't have to run to tell the king, because He already knows ...(I know you know this English Classic tale but in case anyone does not, you can click HERE )
    Anyways, I sure hope that your sky is not falling, dismal or anything, but filled with lots of (sun)SON {maybe some brief rain showers in the evening like here} and lots of LOVE, happy memorable events of JOY and without any hitches(lol). I pray(ed) for all the best to shine brightly over you and all your loved ones. That stuff like this poor chicken ... up in a tree, no longer was impeding you from other delights but you were looking up. Yep, great connection to building "trust" or rebuilding - as always many applicable spiritual points. And as often you sweet, caring heart even for "chickens" ... I guess any past experiences can shadow our ultimate trust in God, sometimes even shatter or obscure it completely yet God (more than any human) deserves our trust, love, etc. but how often we allow unfavorable experiences taint our image of our Heavenly Father {"He's a good, good Father..." and I'm loved by Him} Love your verses especially Psalm 91 (upcoming post of mine too)! So take shelter Sharon! Rest and trust! God is calling you to come 'out of that tree' just like your chicken because He sees and knows your heart. He loves you and so do I. (((hugs))) ~ Blessings, Peggy {have not updated "grateful thoughts" so I'll be back later this week to see} Love you Sharon.

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  3. Sharon - so good - Yes, I have often found myself in the tree too just like Henny! I love that she eventually learned to trust you and even find comfort and peace by your side - just like we do an will if we gt out of the tree and climb up in God's lap too. Thanks so much - We are neighbors at several linkups today: #LLM #SoulSurvivor and #MondayMusings - how awesome is that?!

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  4. Slow and steady wins the race! Your patience and loving persistence made the difference. May I remember to do the same in my encounters with those in my life. Thanks for this, Sharon.

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  5. Wonderful story and analogy, Sharon. So glad you could woo the heart of Henny Penny, and may our gracious Father entice us every day to come down from that tree.
    Blessings!

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  6. Sharon, this is such a great visual picture of how God wants a relationship with us. I will think of your Henny Penny when I feel distant or am wanting to explain this beautiful relationship we can have with the Lord. Thanks for a great post.

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  7. Beautiful description of our fear of being mistreated. I love stories with happy endings and I know God has a happy ending for every mistreated man or woman out there....if only they will trust Him!

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  8. Ah, thanks for the lovely invitation, Sharon.

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  9. Dear friend, I am so sorry I have been so long in visiting you. OH, I have wanted to and meant to so many times! But, here I am, and SO grateful, as always, to come here and find encouragement and hope. Thank you for sharing about Henny...what a wonderful, sweet story. May the Lord richly bless you and keep you always in His care! Sending you much love.

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  10. What a nice story Sharon. What courage you had to stand firm against those bullies. Great analogy too. Happy to hear Henny Penny learned to trust you and settle right in.

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  11. This is such a beautiful story. Yes, our distrust of others because of the pain from the past can put a wedge in our relationship with the Lord. But he is trustworthy. Thanks for the reminder.

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  12. I'm not god with words, so I will say thanks. My niece raises chickens. We all trust in God.

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  13. You always have the best stories that have great spiritual lessons in them!

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  14. Sharon, I'm always blessed with the truths you make so real with your stories. Thanks for sharing! Donna.

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  15. I love your chicken story. I can just see you sitting with her on your lap. What a good analogy of learning to trust God.

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  16. I think I just fell in love with a chicken named Henny Penny. What a sweet and inspirational story, and you were one fierce woman for not giving in to the bullies trying to get her back.

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  17. Love this analogy! My favorite line? "He is always seeking to show us that He is a very safe place to land."

    A safe place to land - I like that.

    Thanks, also, for sharing Psalm 91 - very close to my heart.

    Thanks for sharing at The Loft!

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  18. What a magnificent story! I loved how you used your experience with the chicken to remind us that God is trustworthy. Such a blessing to read this today. Thank you for visiting with us at The Loft.

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  19. Oh man... what a great story and moral lesson to relate to with our Father...

    Yes. I think a lot of us, if we'll admit it, judge God on other fallen folk's actions. We're all like your old bird and you have the heart of our Father.

    Most excellent of posts, sister. My heart and soul is warmed nicely. Thanks.

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  20. Loved your story of the hen you rescued from those "horrible" people. I enjoyed how she learned to trust you even coming into the house to be held. It reminds me of my mother-in-law who had a pet chicken, who would roost on the wringer of the old fashioned washing machine. Sorry that the eggs she laid never made it to the table. I truly love your examples of trust and your ending how God calls us to come down from our tree to where his safe arms await us. Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.

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  21. Such a cool story. Great analogy on trust. Right now in my life, trusting God is all I have to see things through that are difficult. Enjoyed this!

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  22. I wrote about something similar this week! And here I am on Friday needing to hear it again. Phew, such a hard process to trust sometimes. Thanks Sharon.

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  23. What a wonderful experience, Sharon! One of my favorite FB videos is the little boy hugging the chicken! It's such a comfort to know that our heavenly Father longs for us. He loves us and wants to keep us near in the safety of His arms. Blessings on your weekend, friend!

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  24. Wow. I think I needed to read this today. :)
    Enjoy the weekend!

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  25. I love your story of Henny Penny. Trust is never easy. I definitely struggle with that.

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  26. We had chickens before we moved. Hank and Henrietta were the king and queen of the yard. I got them when they were older so they had to learn to trust me. Your story reminds me of how I need to learn to trust God in all things. Thanks for sharing with Thankful Thursdays.

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  27. I just love your chicken story! Chickens are the best! And God is even better! 🙂

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  28. Sharon, what a beautiful story about you and the hen! I like the way you used it as an analogy to how we relate to God sometimes. He is worthy to be trusted and is full of love for us. I'm your neighbor at #GiveMeGrace. I also want to thank you for sharing at the #LMMLinkup!

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  29. I always enjoy your stories, and the reflection on them. So wise.

    Thank you for sharing with the Cozy Reading Spot

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  30. Your stories always bless me Sharon, and I am so thankful you share them with me at the #GraceMoments link up. Being an appreciator of a funny little chicken, I totally get your excitement. My chickens come running when I call there name and it makes me smile big.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

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  31. Sharon,
    What a sweet story and what a good parallel to our trust in God. Love it! Thanks so much for sharing hope with me at #MomentsofHope!
    Blessings and smiles,
    Lori

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

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