Afraid to Move

Our chickens were moved into their new house a few days ago.  The old one was past falling apart.  Since I am not a carpenter or a carpenter's son it took me longer than most to get the new hen house built, but just before Methodist preachers around here are moved, the chickens also made their move. Moving the two old hens were no problem.  They were probably glad to be moving from the old worn out house to the new one.  There were also five young hens and one rooster who had been living in a separate area.  For them moving was likely more traumatic, but the house was ready and they joined the old hens.

 

Before putting the young birds in the new house, I clipped one wing on each bird to prevent any attempts a flying.  One by one they were placed in the new house just before dark so when morning came they would come out of their new house for the first time.  Hopefully, this would mean they would return home the next time the sun disappeared.  What I did not count on was their fear of leaving their new house the next morning.  Three of them sat in it most of the morning before finally joining the others outside where there was feed in dish and fresh grass to scratch.

It seemed that those young chickens were a lot like some of us.  Facing a new situation, they were chicken.  How many times have we been immobilized by our fear of something new.  Everything might be screaming that the change is going to be better, but we still sit inside the comfort of where we are afraid to move.  Fear took away the better part of a day for those young birds.  I fear it has taken away more of my life than just one a part of one morning.  Too many times I failed to listen to Jesus Who kept whispering in my ear, "Do not be afraid."