Rooster Wake-Up Call

If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

Thankfully we have four egg-laying chickens and no rooster but someone in the neighborhood has one that announces daybreak. As it crows to welcome every dawn, I have found that I do not need an alarm anymore. Read Sandra Clifton’s devotion (All God’s Creatures) and discover how this rooster helped her destress.

*****

After just two months in my new position as a copywriter for a publishing company, I felt overwhelmed. A scheduling whiteboard listing due dates for marketing and production hung on the wall of my tiny office. My inbox was swamped with emails from editors and production checking on my progress. I had even resorted to taking fifteen-minute lunch breaks.

One morning, as I stared at a blank computer screen, a sharp bang hit my office door. Welcoming the interruption, I opened the door. Nancy, from the magazine division, stood in the doorway struggling with a rattling wire cage.

Breathless, she said, “I’m desperate. I found this little guy by the highway on my way to work. Can you hide it here till the end of the day? I’ll put it on the floor here in the corner.”

Inside the cage was a darling baby chick.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a baby rooster because of the saddle and hackle feathers. But too early to tell. Cute as a button. I’ll stop by later to feed it.”

Nancy, well known as an animal lover, was involved in animal rescue. Her rural home bore testimony—a menagerie of creatures roamed the exterior and interior. As Nancy fled my office, I called out, “I don’t have time to hen or rooster sit.”

I returned to my computer but couldn’t concentrate. Lord, I don’t need any more stress, I thought. Gentle chirping from the cage interrupted my grumbling. As I listened to my feathered visitor, I could feel myself relaxing. I leaned over, peered into the cage, smiled, and said a prayer over the chick. I also prayed a blessing over Nancy for her caring heart and sense of priorities. This little creature, sent to calm and destress me, was an unexpected gift injected into my little office by the Lord.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Heavenly Father, thank You for all of creation. Help us to look at nature as a masterpiece. Teach us to take care of the helpless and vulnerable without grumbling. AMEN.