What I Learned From Hatching Chickens

Yesterday I added a new skill to my resume: chicken midwife. My wife and I recently took up the hobby of raising chickens. It has been a fun bonding experience with the whole family.

Yesterday was a new challenge. We were incubating some eggs and the first chicks started peeking through. Unfortunately, we had one chicken who was refusing to come out. She was the first to poke a hole in her shell, but took over 12 hours to make any further progress. All of our chicken professors (from Google searches) warned us that it could get dangerous for the chick if it took them longer than that. We had to intervene.

We had to lift the lid off the baby chicks’ world grab this chick’s protective shell and start to work. The other chick who had already been born cheeped feverishly for her sibling. We wrapped the egg in a warm wash cloth and slowly chipped a ring around the egg. We started with an inch long line from where the chick originally started before putting her back in the incubator. After another hour of staying in the shell, we repeated the procedure with a longer cut.

We had to be careful not to help too much because the act of getting out of the shell prepares the chick for her survival outside the egg. I am proud to announce that after another half hour, with the help of the other chick, she emerged from her shell.

What I realized is that God works with us in a similar way.

Often times we are struggling in our lives to the point we want to give up. We question why God doesn’t just fix our circumstances. “God I can’t do this!” Why have you forsaken me? When He does seem to come, He doesn’t seem to do enough.

God is not being mean, but He is leading us to a place where we will be strong enough for the other side. If He takes away the pain too soon, we will be ill-prepared to maintain the place He has brought us to.

Recently my youngest daughter has been telling me she can’t do things. “I can’t find my stuffed animal.” “I can’t put away everything.” “I can’t put on this shirt.” What I found out is that each time I help by doing things for her the more likely she will tell me more things she can’t do. I want her to know that she is powerful and that her words create her realities.

While it may be true that she is having trouble doing something, it doesn’t mean she can’t do it. With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). She can do all things through Christ who strengthens her (Philippians 4:13). She may not be able to do something by herself, but she has resources she can tap into. If I continue to do things for her, she will not learn how powerful she is.

Do you feel God is slow coming to your rescue? It may be He is allowing you to get stronger. He loves you and knows what you need.