Coming home from church Sunday, Howard drove into the yard, and we couldn't believe the scene at the bottom of the slope near the barn! "Howard!" I cried out, "The chickens are out of their pen!" And they were! The whole motley flock, including guineas, was scattered--happily pecking at their leisure as we panicked.
The gate to their pen was open! How did that happen? Then something shiny on the fence caught my eye. The pin that holds the latch shut on the chicken pen door! Maybe I had forgotten to put it back after I fed them a couple of days ago, and the wind blew it open!
Howard jumped out and was shooing them back in, when a feisty rooster flew into him and attacked his leg! This angered my husband and he gave it a swift kick. From inside the van, I saw my unsuspecting mate walk off, when the rooster flogged him from behind! Turning swiftly around, Howard landed another kick! Suddenly he disappeared from the windshield where I was watching. Oh, no! I jumped out and found my hapless spouse on the ground! He had lost balance with the kick! I helped him struggle up, but he was not hurt, just furious!
A couple of days later, I watched from the kitchen window as he fed the animals, when I saw Pebbles, the dog, chasing the guineas. She loved it when she could make them fly into a tree or to the top of the shed. This was okay for the "wild" guineas, but our younger ones that we hadn't been able to corral were more vulnerable. When I saw her catch one, I rushed down to rescue it.
What a mad dash and scenario that was! I grabbed a net, caught the guinea and was trying to get her back to the pen when I lost my footing and found myself hitting the ground! Thankfully, it was soft from the rain, and no casualty but muddy jeans.
These unruly creatures made me think of our adversary spoken of in the Bible: the devil! I Peter 5:8: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Just as the fowl came from behind, the enemy loves to take us by surprise at a vulnerable moment and knock us down! And, unlike my efforts with the net, his goal is to toss over us a net of worry, fear, or despair, and ultimately trap us for destruction.
"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (11) To him be glory and dominion fore ever and ever Amen." I Peter 5:10-11.
Never leave the gate open for the enemy!
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