Winter

Winter

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Friday Linky Day



Today I am linking with Amy at Verde Farms for Farm Friend Friday
and my friend Joyce at Friday Pretties and her blog I love Pretty Things.
I love both of them very much, these dear sweet ladies and the lovely blogs they have, so I thought I would link to them both.


I am sharing about my chicks from last year. I learn so much by observing chickens.
As I sit and watch them my mind is free to think of so many things. When I wrote this
blog post, my Mom had recently passed away. I was still trying to come to grips with
the grief and the loss. My brother who owns the feed store where I purchase my chicks
called to tell me that he had chicks. I think for us both it was a way we coped with our loss.
He is a nutty about chickens as I am maybe even a bit more as he keeps the ones that get
to big to sell in back of his store with these really nice chicken pens.
Anyway it helped us both to talk of chicks and to talk about different breeds and to
just be together without having to talk.
Thank you to both Amy and Joyce. You both have added so much to my life by your
sweet words of encouragement.

Observations About Chicks.


I was watching my chicks, and I made some observations.
I took them out in the cage and put them on the nice
green lawn. I put the little door down thinking that
they would hop out and run and flap their wings.

They didn't. They would flap their wings and go from
side to side and up and down and hit their heads on the
top of the cage, but would not leave the confines of the cage.

I was puzzling over this and I went inside and got the water,
the food and a plate of grit. I put it out in the grass and watched
some more. A few brave souls would venture out to the edge of
the door but would turn around and run back in.

As I sat there I found myself asking, " why won't you trust me?"
I said those words to myself then it hit me. I am just like those chicks
I live that way so often, being afraid to try new things. Always,
God is standing near, saying to me, " Will you trust me." It sort of hit
me hard. I find I hold onto things to tightly, my life, my kids, my husband
even to fear itself, because of being like the chicks and leaving it all
and trusting my life to God.

C.S. Lewis said, "
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
The Weight of Glory and other addresses, by C.S. Lewis. (The Macmillian Company, New York 1949).

I just love that and today I decided no more cage and took each chick out and put them on the grass. I wondered then am I like that too? God has such amazing plans that He has to reach out sometimes and bring trials, and other things, because I refuse to move.
That is what having chicks does, it makes me sit and ponder life.

~Kim~

14 comments:

Jen said...

I sit and ponder life too while watchin my chickens... its so nice.

I Love Pretty Little Things said...

My Goodness! You hit the nail on the head! I love, love, love the wisdom in this post and am going to read it a couple more times because I am a chick that needs to step out and trust too.
And, C.S. Lewis- always profound. He always makes me think...
Thanks for sharing this,
Joyce

TexWisGirl said...

Nice analogy to our own human fears. :)

Dawn said...

Wow. Funny how the simple things can open our eyes and hearts to deeper truths. Great Post here!

Have a wonderful, thoughtful weekend....and keep hanging with the chickens. I like your thoughts:)

Debbie said...

I think you have come up with a very good anaolgy. I am DEFINITELY like those chickens...scared to wonder very far from what I am comfortable with. I just know I would love to sit and observe them too. Have a wonderful week-end. HUGS

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

Great!! Yes I am such an ignorant child who wants to make mudpies instead of holiday by the sea....I am that chick...and God seems to be rattling my cage so I will step outside and see what He has in store...what a great keeper of your chickens you are and what truths God teaches us when we observe life...which you totally do.

Vintage Home said...

Thank you!

myletterstoemily said...

who would have ever thought that your chickens could
teach us SO much? your c.s. lewis quote is one of my
all time favorites. i spend far too much time in the mud,
instead of the splendour of His kingdom!

you are SUCH a treasure!

Gloria said...

I am visiting from Friday Pretties. I am so glad I found you...:) It is amazing what God uses to teach us his truths. I love your words of wisdom here. What a great quote by C.S. Lewis!

Blessings to you,
xoxo Gloria

Gloria said...

p.s. I am following you, I would love for you to come by and visit me too...:)

Julia said...

Kimhow delightful that you let your chicken teach you about life. I don't have any chicken but use nature as I find it to teach me about life.

I once watch a spider for a whole hour during a meditation time and learned of their infinite patience waiting for their pray to walk into their web. It taught me to br patient and to trust. Then as I was sitting there trying to be open to God insights I was annoyed at a noisy crow who was protecting her nest and then realized that God had created it to act that way and was amazed at the dedication it had to protect it's young and suddenly the annoying noise became like a sweet elexir. I became calm and felt admiration for the noisy crow and it didn't bother me the next morning when it started to crow again.

It's all in our attitude to listen to nature and learn. JB

Kim said...

I really enjoy it when you talk about your chickens. I think we can learn alot about ourselves by watching animals more closely. We are not really that different. And I also love how you can tie everything back to your faith.
Your posts make me happy.

Kritter Keeper at Farm Tails said...

hi i just found you from farm friend friday. love your facing fear lesson learned thru your chickens. so true and good inspiring words for us to enjoy. stop by for a visit when you have time!

flowerweaver said...

I am a chicken keeper, too, visiting from Farm Friend Friday. Sorry to hear about your loss, I've been through it too. Your analogy is wonderful. I think things like this in farm life can teach us great lessons if we are open to them.