“Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Matthew 9:36
I love birds. Especially do I love birds of prey. They’re at the same time majestic and mysterious, focused and dignified, sharp and calculated.
However, as much as I love these creatures, I don’t like it when they zero their attention on other creatures that I love for different reasons.
Enter the chicken. As much as chickens can annoy me with their fearfulness, I still appreciate and therefore love them. They’re funny critters to watch. When allowed to roam, they find all kinds of things to eat and run from. They’re helpful around the yard, and they’re also (when they’re productive) helpful in the kitchen. Having chickens is a staple for us.
And so, we welcomed our first flock of chickens years ago. We’ve kept them relatively safe from predators (except for the occasional opossum, raccoon, and/or fox that snuck in to our backyard in Denton and slipped past my live-trap). Mind you, I trapped over 10 raccoons, 12 opossums, and one house cat at that spot. Other than the few clever ground predators, our chickens have existed peacefully without having to fear for their lives.
As the Lord would have it, our family decided to spread our wings a little more and move to a property that would provide additional space for us to grow into.
And so, we moved to Krugerville, TX. It’s been a delight, to say the least.
We’re surrounded by myriad birds (and other creatures) that sing their little hearts out. There have been cardinals, chickadees, blue birds, blue jays, wood peckers, and many more. Each contributing to the ecosystem, environment, and harmony we are trying to steward and cultivate around us.
Well, as it turns out everything loves chickens. And for the most part, chickens are helpless in defending themselves against attack. They have no teeth with which to inflict a ferocious bite. Most of the time at night they’re in a coop and therefore easily cornered if something snakes its way in to their little abode. And so, they need constant care and attention to ensure their livelihood and safety.
As a result, there have also been other birds we’ve seen and heard that know this weakness of the chicken as well. While walking around the yard I spotted a large hawk soaring high around us. Other times, I’ve heard owls in the distance hooting and calling to each other.
The owl is probably my favorite bird of prey (outside the bald eagle). I’m not sure why, but they just seem more rare to me. They can be large, yet agile. They can be young, yet have the appearance of being ancient. They have a haunting and eerie call, and their hunting practices are unique to the night.
I knew this in theory, but found this out in reality early one morning this week.
Each evening we put our chickens up in order to keep them safe in the dark. We have two flocks right now that we’re about to bring into one flock here shortly. The younger flock has more chickens in it, but they’re still too young to introduce to the older flock—pecking order is a real and life-threatening thing for a smaller chicken. And so, we have the younger chicks separated by an electric fence that prevents ground predators from getting to them at night. What I didn’t take into consideration with this younger flock was night-time aerial predators. They have cover to sleep at night, they have an electric fence around them, but they can get out of their cover whenever they want–which leaves them vulnerable to night-time aerial attacks.
It was still dark outside when I was shaken from the fog of sleep. I knew the call as soon as I was able to concentrate. It was the haunting call of an owl. He was communicating with his partner. Over and over I heard the call. I was tired, and at first I thought it was far off. But then, as I came more to my senses I realized these things were hunting, and they were hunting right outside my window…right where the little chicks were sleeping.
There I lay–in the darkness of an early morning–still barely awake with a decision to make. Do I go outside and shoo the owl away and protect those helpless little chickens, or do I go back to sleep and leave the chickens to fend for themselves?
What should I do?
I didn’t think twice about it. Those chickens are helpless without my shepherding of them. They’re out there trusting me to care for them, feed them, water them, and protect them. It’s my stewardship. It’s my responsibility.
And so, I shook the sleep from my body, got up, walked outside, shined a flashlight in the direction of the owl, and saw him spread his massive wings and fly away ever calling to his partner as they made their escape.
The chickens didn’t even know what happened. They were probably even frustrated that I interrupted their precious sleep. But, they needed a shepherd to protect them. I am their shepherd, and I protected them.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- God has given you a sphere of influence that requires your shepherding.
- What is it?
- In what ways can you begin or continue to care for them (those), etc.?
“Know well the condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds…”
Proverbs 27:23
