Rejoicing over a little thing

Both Anne and Jase entered looking expectantly at me.

That expression which hovers between anticipation and “knowing something she doesn’t know” was all over them.

I looked up and raised my eyebrows.

“Yes?”

“Jase found something!” Anne’s voice was full of pleasure.

I looked at him.

“Here!” He reached out and placed a brand new egg in my hands.

All three of us cheered like our team won a State title!

I took a picture of it and texted my husband.

With the tag line: “Jesus heard you, yesterday.”

(For just last night, as he was helping me shut up the coop, he stated he was getting a bit weary of waiting for our chickens to start laying.)

My husband responded to my text with joyful comments and questions as to when and where it was discovered.

His last text read: “So funny I could be so happy about an egg!”

Which were my exact words to our oldest daughter, when I related the occasion over the phone.

Yet, why shouldn’t we be excited?

What’s wrong with rejoicing over the gift of our chickens and the egg?

Yes, it’s a little thing, but God gave us this little thing.

I think it’s right to thank Him for it, and be excited about it.

For if we wait to praise Him for only the big things will we ever?

Is it not in life’s little things, the day-to-day blessings, where we get a much clearer understanding of the goodness of God and His continual care?

Thus, I expect to praise God for eggs, chickens, veggies from the garden, rabbits, sheep, goats, sunsets, family, friends, flowers, good books, home cooked food, warm blankets, clothes, the beauty around us,…for all these good things are gifts from Him.

And His faithfulness and love are worth recognizing and rejoicing over.

Psalm 55:22 KJV — Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

He has definitely been sustaining us.

And I’m so thankful.

Praise the Lord!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for this gift of an egg. We are so blessed to be able to see the outcome of our toil in this tiny package. Lord, thank You for the joy we experienced, just in a small thing. Please help us never to grow callous to Your blessings nor forgetful of Your faithfulness. Lord, You sustain us daily, just the beating of our hearts and the breath in our lungs is testimony to Your gifts. Lord, please continue to show us how to rejoice over the small things. How to find peace through Your promises. How to rest in Your salvation and yet still be diligent servants, faithful in the tasks at hand. Lord, I praise Your holy name! Thank You! Amen.

One Rooster

Watching him strut around the run, drink water, and then attempt to crow, made me smile.

It wasn’t because he’s a handsome rooster.

It was because God used this fellow to remind me of God’s blessing.

Where we bought our chicks, we didn’t get to choose.

We called ahead and reserved 19 chicks, 10 Bared Rocks and nine Rhode Island Reds.

As the worker scooped one after another into our box, I prayed, asking the Lord for enough hens to supply our family with eggs.

One of the chicks died about three days after we got them, but that wasn’t too surprising.

They go through a lot of trauma being shipped to the store and then more being brought home.

As they grew, we watched for signs to tell us which were hens and which were roosters.

We had agreed, our small number of hens would benefit from a single rooster and the rest we would butcher.

Thus, as I watched our rooster this morning, my heart was reminded of the unexpected things God does.

Because the chances of getting a single rooster out of 18 chicks picked at random isn’t too good, but that’s what God gave us.

And I had been pausing to watch the chickens from a place of worry.

I’d been praying for something I couldn’t see a solution for, and that’s when God reminded me I don’t need to worry.

If He can supply us with something as unimportant as a single rooster, He can certainly supply me with the answers to the bigger things.

Because life is a journey, a walk with God, through which He works in us and in others.

Jesus said it best:

Matthew 10:29 NKJV — “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

Matthew 10:31 NKJV — “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Lord, please forgive me for allowing worry to creep into my thoughts and settle in my heart. Please help me to be restored to peace in the waiting, for I know You are directing our steps. Lord, I love You and I thank You for Your blessings, especially the reminder of Your goodness and ability. Lord, please help me to be thankful and completely patient. Please help me to be full of mercy and grace. Lord, I trust You with all things and I thank You in advance for how You are working it all for our good. I love You. Amen.