The Secret Things of God

Growing up in a single parent home; I often heard my mother say, "be careful". It didn't matter where I was going or who was going with me, she always called out "be careful". Years of hard times and dangerous situations had showed her that old man trouble would find you.

Having her parents die while she was young and soon separating from her two brothers left her with two sisters. The three of them lived close to each other and when trouble came it seemed that they would bind closer together.

Somewhere between 1965-1968 I remember going to a neighbor’s house on Dixie Street, in Monroe, Louisiana. This neighbor had some chickens. I don't remember if we were buying a chicken or if the person was giving us one. Back then people helped each other any way they could. I remember that you had to ring the neck of your own chicken.

There we were with all those chickens, a rooster or two and a few hens. When we went to get our chicken; mom would point one out and tell my brother Lester and I to catch him. You never heard such a noise. While you were chasing a chicken, a hen may be chasing you. That hen was trying to protect her chickens. Julia would just stand back and laugh.

Finally we would catch one and Julia would ring that chicken's neck.

Now when the neck came off, the body would run around the yard without a head. It was off to the races again. I remember Julia shouted, "Catch him" and Lester didn't move!

She had to be talking to Lester because I wasn't going anywhere near the headless chicken. Soon as Lester took off toward that chicken, a rooster took off toward Lester and I took off toward mom.

I was wide open picking my feet up and putting them down. Mom grabbed me and slung her arms around me and said "hush sugar; ain't no rooster going to get my baby". The big hen was now protecting her little chickens.

The Word of God teaches that God compares taking care of his children as that hen did her chicks. In Matthew 23:37 Jesus said unto the people of his day "just as the hen gathers her chicks; I desired to gather you but you would not come unto me. In the Scriptures before that Jesus said, "I send unto you Prophets and wise men; some you will kill and others you will beat!" It was through these gifts that God intended to reveal his salvation unto His people. But because the people did not receive the Prophets or the Wise Men, their house was left unto them desolation.

Matthew 23:39 says that this salvation would be hid from them until they were ready to receive the one whom God had sent.