The Barn
You know, I was thinking. As a kid growing up we had a lot of chores to do around the house. We always had a few cows, pigs and chickens around just to make life interesting. There were two times every year that I dreaded worse than any test at school. Every Spring and Fall we had to go out and clean out the barn where we kept the chickens. I don't know how many other people have ever had the pleasure of mucking out a chicken coop but let me tell you from first hand experience that it is not a clean experience. My brother and I hated it! Since we always seemed to have chickens we would have to divide the barn into two sections. One side would hold the chickens temporarily while we cleaned the other side. Then the next day (yes this was usually a two day process) we would put down fresh straw on the "cleaned" side and begin the process on the other side. When we'd get about 3/4 of the way done with the second side we would start getting excited because we were almost done, that last 1/4 went so fast! By the time we were done with side two and we would "un-divide" the barn, I realized that the first side was already starting to get dirty again. Well I guess that's just how it is with chickens...........and people!When we finally turn our lives over to Christ, there's a lot of cleaning that needs to be done. Most of it gets done one section at a time. The Holy Spirit comes in and begins the process. He'll get one section done and move on to the next. By the time the next section gets done the first one is beginning to get dirty again. But, the Holy Spirit is patient. He will continue to work as long as we allow Him to. This process is called santification. It's an ongoing process that we as Christians go through our entire Christian lives. It is a process that doesn't add to our salvation, but changes us into more God-like creatures. It's what teaches us to hope, care, pray, evangelize and love. This work continues in us until we die. It never stops even when WE think WE can't do any more! This is such a wonderful work of the Spirit! It shows me that God never ever will give up on us no matter what (read Rom. 8 here). Be blessed today.
posted by Doug E. Pudge @ 8:57 AM
16 Comments:
Thank you DEP.
I am blessed to be around so many wise men and women. Just Tuesday, at the Round Table of Basil, I heard some things that rocked my mind. Everyday I get more "parachute epiphanies" (read A New Way To Be Human for an explanation on that term).
I cleaned chicken barns as a teen also. I worked for Sweet's Sweetcorn farm in North Ridgeville, Ohio and they also sold eggs and chickens to the Campbell Soup Company. After the chickens would exhaust their best egg laying, we would gather the chickens into crates and truck them off the Campbell. Then on the choicest workers would get a chance to clean the barns. I am so blessed to understand the joy of cleaning chicken barns!!I declare you are all blessed!!!
I LOVE my sis! BBT
Pattiann had to clean out the human coup. Which is worse? I certainly know what it is like to care of three children, trying to pickup after them can be quite a chore. Each and every day, but the Lord is faithful. As DEP said "the Holy Spirit is at work cleaning up our lives each and every time we mess it up.
What she said! BBT
She should do a blog!
wow...a blog is born...that was amazin!! I think my coup could use a little cleanin. Almost every possible interpretation of that applies...except that I dont have a chicken:)
I think your hubby (just like me) has chicken legs! :p
youknow (and this will just knock u over) you aren't the first one to have noticed this:)
when I was huge and pregant, I keep telling we were getting dangerously close to becoming a walking nursery rhyme.
:) I can relate to Sam I Am!
Chicken-Legged-Men UNITE!!
Owen, on the other hand, has calfs that are bigger than my rear end. Freakishly huge!
Watch Hanna walk around a bit in her bare feet and you'll see why hers will be the same....
I've had a conversation with Jim today about fertilizing his lawn and he made a reference twice that he was inspired by chicken manure. Now I get it.
God wants us to garden every aspect of our lives, and if begin to ignore or neglect areas, we begin to get "overgrown" again. We must continually "weed our gardens".
Wow, I call this a good day of bloggin! People have been getting their lawns together, a blog has been born, and the message of the post came through. I love you guys. BBT
awesome insight, Kel...don't u just love a good "A-ha" moment???
I had chickens growing up too. Maybe that's why I have been called chicken boy, maybe it is the legs, I don't know. Maybe it's cuz I was tanning with butter the other day, and then fell into a bowl of parmesan and parsley.
Hey dougolomon, great post.
Post a Comment
<< Home