Matthew 23:37 (NKJV)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
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“Any chicks yet Mama?”I said as I peeped into the stable of my little sheep barn. I don’t know who was more excited for these chicks to be hatched, her or me. The father of these chicks is a red game rooster that won my heart when I nursed him back to health, so I feel like these chicks are special. “Maybe tomorrow will be hatch day Red. You are going to be a Daddy soon!”
Of all of the animals on the farm, a hen is likely the most attentive, protective mother there is. From the moment she begins incubating her eggs in the nest, until her chicks are fully grown, she will be the chicks constant companion, their teacher, and their protector. All hens are protective, but game hens take the term “helicopter mom” to a new level.
Peep peep peep, I heard them before I even saw them. Seven little, yellow fuzz balls were scurrying around mimicking mom as she scratched through the pine straw looking for food. As I approached mom extended her wings and puffed up her feathers to make herself look twice as big as she actually is. In a language that only God and chickens understand, she made a couple of clucks and all of her babies came running to her as she covered all seven with her wings. “What a good Mama hen you are!”I said to the first time mom as I headed off to do chores.
As the sun was setting, I decided to check on the mama hen and her new babies. I arrived just in time to see all but two chicks follow Mom to the nest to settle for the night. The two wayward chicks lost focus on the hen just long enough to enter into the wrong stall. “Not a big deal”, I thought as I hopped out of the Kubota. It would be easy to shoo them out of this stable, and they could run to their mother who was now frantically clucking for them to come to safety.
As I entered the stable, the two chicks were running around trying to find the hen that they could hear but not see. The chicks were not alone. Much to my horror, I saw two, 6 ft black snakes who were just inches from the chicks who had no idea of the danger that they were in. Miraculously, I was able to keep my wits about me enough to rescue both chicks.
How many times have we lost focus on Christ and wandered away from his will for our lives? It is easy to slip up, but when we lose sight of Jesus, like these chicks, we may find ourselves in perilous situations. Thankfully, Jesus is willing to take us back and tuck us under his wings of protection, no matter where we have been or what we have done.