| Of all the places to see in Hawaii, there I was taking photos of a mother hen and her baby chicks. I’m not sure if anyone else in the tour group saw the little family. They were almost hidden behind wild plant growth, just living life. One of her chicks had caught its foot in the meshed grass. It was in trouble. The camera snapped the photo just as the watchful eye of the mother looked in its direction. Why was I so caught up in this scene? I think it reminded me of an incident when I was a very young girl, five or six years old. It was an incident that was horrifying for me. It involved another mother hen and her chicks. Mother had taken me to visit a relative. While playing in the backyard, I saw a hen with lots of baby chicks. I wanted so desperately to hold one of her babies in my hand. All I wanted to do was love on it! The closer I got to the little chicken family the louder the mother clucked and the faster the little chicks ran. I singled out one little soft looking chick and ran after it with all my might. The faster it ran, the quicker my little legs ran. Suddenly, it stopped, but it was too late for me to redirect my fast moving foot. Suddenly, my intentions to cuddle the little chick would never be. My heart cried as I lifted my foot off the poor lifeless little creature. I couldn’t believe what I had done! How do you deal with those feelings? This experience became a secret pain within my young, tender heart. I told no one. I visited the painful memory often. In a sense, it became my identity. How could I ever accomplish anything significant in life? Then, one day I found the courage to open the door of my heart and invite someone else in. I asked God to give me the peace I read about in Philippians 4:7. He did! Since then, I know where I can find the peace to deal with the many other mistakes I’ve made along life’s journey. I’m so thankful that God knows I’m not perfect but loves me anyway! Every human being has a longing for God. Christians go one step further–not only do we long for God but we have the treasure of His presence always with us. (Mother Theresa) Arlette Revells |
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