It started in Oklahoma.

I must’ve been reading a homesteading, gardening, back-to-the-earth type blog when I knew I wanted chickens.

That was 4 years ago when a relocation from Oklahoma City to the Pacific pushed that dream to the back burner.

Dreams of a garden and raising chickens were gone like the northwestern sun in January. Replaced instead by the dreary rainy truth that I may not ever own my own home again and/or own chickens.

Painful life events happen forcing change.

But what about dreams? Hopes? A vision for a different life…do we simply give up? What about when we can’t see that it’ll ever come true, do we give up then?

When I realized getting back into our own place where we could settle in was on a temporary-could-be-full-time-permanent basis, I was madder than a wet hen, as they say.

I struggled with my anger. Vented my feelings to God and then in sheer exhaustion, gave up. I saw the road blocks we were facing as insurmountable; the life I had hoped for when we moved to the Pacific Northwest was gone.

Until, a friend asked me to chicken-sit her hens.

In a heartbeat I agreed.

Now you can say I let my emotions override my logic in this instance or maybe it was something close to lacking 20/20 vision, because as I was chicken-sitting those hens all I could see was what I had lost. I would lament over and over to The Hubs, “if we were still in Oklahoma I could have my own chickens.” (Not true, we lived in a HOA run suburban community that sneezed at the thought of chickens in the neighborhood, but I’m blind to my own truth at times.)

I continued whining, fussing, complaining.

My poor husband.

Poor God. He put up with all of my constant fussing too.

Fast forward a year, and this summer I was once again asked to chicken-sit only this time for 5 weeks. I jumped at the chance.

And then it hit me.

You’ve answered my prayers Lord.

Not in the way I had planned but in a better, more feasible way.

God provided Connie, a good friend from church who needed help chicken-sitting while she traveled to see grandkids.

I needed experience. Let’s face it. Wanting chickens and taking care of chickens are 2 entirely different things.

So God has given me an answer to my little dream.

Learning without owning.

My friend Connie is trusting, gracious, knowledgeable and so patient with me as I test out my own “wings” when it comes to chicken-sitting her “fluffy butts”.

I share all of this for a number of reasons:

• God hears us and He cares about every little thing in our hearts. Yes, even chickens!
• Sometimes God answers prayers in a different way than the way we asked.
• Because of His love and provision I am able to take this opportunity to learn, grow, build a new friendship with Connie while taking care of a clutch of chickens.

God knows what we need/want even before we ask. So ask!

What may initially look like a “no” may actually be a “yes”.

Finally, can I share with you how humbled this makes me feel? To know that God, in His infinite wisdom, grace, love and provision, heard me?

When you compare my dream of owning chickens to curing cancer or world peace, it seems quite frivolous doesn’t it? But God still cares, He still hears us and He still answers.

So be on the lookout for answered and unanswered prayers, knowing God loves you and will always be working for your benefit.

Until next time,

Blessings and best wishes,