Today’s Blog by Yvonne

Chickens are a common sight on many mission trips. I see them running around yards. I spy them in crates on the back of bicycles. And I enjoy them served on plates. On one of my trips to Kenya, I heard about a new restaurant in a nearby town which served fresh chicken. The team decided they wanted to check it out. The journey took us down a long dusty trail that masqueraded as a road. Enormous pot holes caused the car to swerve and jump wildly. My bones rattled until they were sore. After an hour, we arrived at the restaurant.

As we entered, my eyes caught sight of a large dining area on one side of the property surrounded by large, old Baobab trees. A long table, under the shade of the trees, beckoned us to come and relax. The waiter soon arrived to explain the process. He explained the first step was to pick out the chicken. Once selected, the poor little critter went to the kitchen to be beheaded, plucked and cooked. We all cringed at the thought. I like my chicken fresh, but this was a little bit too fresh. I realized lunch might take several hours to prepare, longer than we wanted to wait. So, we left in search of something less gruesome and a little faster.

The Kenyan chicken adventure was not my first exposure to preparing a bird for a meal. My husband’s family likes to duck hunt. I went out on a hunt with them once and bagged a goose. I had to pluck it when we got back to the house. It seemed to take hours to accomplish the simple task of de-feathering this little fellow. My fingers ached by the time I finished. Next, the men finished the ugly part of the job for me. Soon, my goose lay naked before me on a plate. I enjoyed eating him in my gumbo later that night. The process of watching the goose go from flying high to a lump of breast meat saddened me slightly.

Both of these experiences with preparing birds for consumption caused me to think about my life in Christ. I related to these birds in several ways. Early in my walk with Christ, I remained part world. I strutted around hiding the real me under my brightly colored plumage. I preened and fluffed my feathers in the solemn hope that even God would not see the ugly lump of meat, which lay below my pretty feathers. But, the verse above from Hebrews 4:13 taught me otherwise, “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before Him.” With one swipe, God started to pluck my feathers away. One by one, He exposed my sins. Instead of serving me on a plate, God prepared me for eternity. He revealed my sins so that I could change my ways and return to my walk with Jesus.

Are you trying to hide your sinful nature from God? He sees those things in your life that you seek to disguise under a layer of beauty. Confess to God and allow Him to wash your sins away. Return to Him, and He will give you His real beauty.

Blessing,
Yvonne, author and blogger.

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”