
This was our yearly ornament this year - my grandson's favorite thing to say to us this year was, "Guess what?!" and before you can reply, he squeals out, "CHICKEN BUTT!" It's been a source of great entertainment for all of us.
I had no idea it would also be part of a spiritual revelation of sorts for me today.
Several years ago, we moved into a new neighborhood where many hawks and owls also make their home. There have been many days I have been carefully observed on my walks by a red tailed or Harris hawk or taunted by the quiet call of an owl at night. I have become quite fond of the hawks, especially the red tailed hawks, as they frequent the light poles on my street often. I've also noticed that many times when I've been in prayer over something or in doubt, invariably, a hawk will appear in my path as I am driving or walking - almost as a confirmation of “yes, you're on the right path.” I'm very wary about looking for signs because they can be so easily misconstrued or misunderstood or idolized, so I generally look on these fondly and allow them to remind me to go to my Father in Heaven in prayer, and to look at things from His view not mine. His perspective is so much bigger and higher than mine - He sees the BIG PICTURE from an eternal view. Like the hawk with the much higher vantage point up on the light pole or up in the sky, my Father in Heaven can see what I can not. The hawks remind me to try to look at my temporary frustrations from God's eternal perspective and trust His plan.
Today in an online prayer meeting, one of the members mentioned some struggles that she was experiencing and that God had led her to Psalm 91: 4 “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are armor and protection.” She mentioned that she didn't want to just stay under the chicken all warm and safe anymore. Thankfully my mic was muted because when that image hit me so big, I squealed out loud! I realized that I keep trying to stay under the chicken in my comfort zones and I'm not called to stay under the chicken! I am called to get out and fly not sit under the chicken butt.
Suddenly, references about eagles and feathers that I've heard and come across in the last year were screaming for my attention. How eagles slowly "unfeather" their nests and start feeding their babies from the edge of the nest to encourage their babies to leave... (big parenting tip there). How eagles fly into a storm - not away - and use the wind and strength of the storm to push them up above it. How they continue to fly when the crow keeps attacking them, just ignoring it and flying higher because the crow eventually gives up.
And then I remembered Deuteronomy 32:11 “Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spreads his wings to take them up and carries them safely on his pinions.” Pinions are the flight feathers at the end of a bird's wing (these are the ones that are trimmed to keep birds from flying away). While our own flight feathers can get cut so that we're grounded, the Lord’s flight feathers are never cut. Nothing can cut the His flight feathers without His permission.
Here was God this morning, telling me (again) that it's time to get out from under the chicken butt and start flying with Him and relying on HIS flight feathers. He's got me.
God has been clearly and quietly pulling me out of some of my most precious comfort zones and urging me to step into some new spaces. He has shown me in dreams the importance of keeping His Word close - knowing the word in my heart and in my mind so that I can pull from it in the moment. That I won't always have time or space to pull out a Bible so I need to work at putting these things on my heart and know them so that they're on my tongue when they are needed.
It's a new boots-on-the-ground season for me. It's not safe and cozy (like under the chicken butt). I'm not going to say it's scary because I'm not going to give fear that much power. I am trusting Him to lead me where I am going because He is the light for my path set before me.
Here's to getting out from under that chicken butt.
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