1 Peter 5:8 – Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (NLT)

Charlie got his start as a project. My daughter worked in a home for developmentally disabled adults and took an egg from one of our hens to incubate. The residents watched in amazement as the egg slowly hatched and out popped Charlie! He was cute and cuddly for a while, but Charlie soon turned into an unruly rooster that found himself back with us. The only problem was, Charlie didn't fit in with us either. He was always mad and would flog anything whether it moved or not. I observed him lash out at a sponge that we were using to wash the car. The concrete duck frequently became the object of Charlie's wrath, as well as anyone who dared to turn their back on him.

After a while, we appropriately changed his name to "Crazy Charlie". This feathered bundle of trouble didn't go by rules. He assumed that he knew best and would not go in at night with the rest of the chickens. What he didn't see was the danger that lingers in the dark. Coyotes roam around looking for such delicacies.

I wish I could have warned Charlie of the dangers out there. Since I didn't speak chicken, I was helpless. If only I could become a chicken for just a minute, I could explain to this stiff-necked "bird brain" how to keep himself from becoming a meal for some hungry varmint. But Charlie thought that he knew best.

My nightly ritual was to put him away, and I would often find him huddled in the dark. On more than one night, I forgot, and was relieved to hear him crow before dawn the next morning. Eventually, a hungry coyote heard that prideful crow as a call to supper. Poor Charlie was never to crow again.

Jesus loves us so much — even us "dumb clucks" — that He came to be one of us as a man so that He could talk with us, warn us of the devil's plans, and save us from the evil that lurks in the world. He came so that none of us would perish but have life eternal. We don't have to huddle in the darkness, because He said, "I am the light of the world." He desired to bring us into the new light of His salvation. Thank God that He didn't give up on this "chick"!

We all have a little "Charlie" in us. We strut around in our own pride, in our own strength, daring anyone to tell us that there is another way. Instead of crouching in our own darkness, becoming a sitting duck for the enemy, let us turn in repentance and humility, and accept God's offer of eternal safety in Christ.

Prayer: Father, we thank You that You can give us Your lessons — even through a crazy chicken. Help us to keep our lives free of pride and disobedience. Search our hearts daily for any bad and destructive ways. May we always be mindful of Your ways. Amen.

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About the author:

Jeanie Nihiser <jnihiserj@gmail.com>
Geneseo, New York, USA
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