What Can We Learn From the Chicken?

I came across a post on Facebook that I just had to share. The title of the post is “Five Fun Facts About Chickens.”  Now I must admit that I never thought there was anything fun about chickens. So, you can imagine my surprise, and joy in discovering that there is not one, not two, but five fun facts about chickens. I know you are dying to know what these fun facts are…so let me share them with you! 

Five Fun Facts About Chickens A chicken not only learns to recognize their own name, but also knows the names of other chickens in its flock. Chickens have good memories – they can remember and recognize over 100 different faces (both human and animals). Hens and their hatching chicks converse through the shell, allowing chickens to recognize their mothers’ voices. Chickens are among the closest living relatives to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. A chicken’s vocabulary includes at least 30 words and more than likely several others that have yet to be identified.

There you go. Five fun facts about chickens.  Are these all true?  I don’t know. It didn’t say that it was fact checked. I’ve not been a fan of chickens.  For those of you who are, forgive me. I am glad that this little creature of God has fans and that because of you, there will be chickens in heaven. I am sure you who are fans already knew these – and maybe you could enlighten us on a few more fun facts about chickens.  I bet some of you are missing the Noah stories and wishing I would get another dog to write about. Well, it’s not time for that, so for now, in this blog only, we will stick with the chicken facts. I was surprised by fact number 4. I wonder how they know that they are any sort of relative to the T- Rex?  Did they just look at the two side by side and decide? HUMMM? Maybe so?    I guess I can see a resemblance.  But who would have thought to compare the two? Maybe the bigger question is why did I decide to do a blog about chickens?  Well, honestly, because Kara made me write a blog and I saw this post on Facebook. But – as I read through the facts number 3 intrigued me.” Hens and their hatching chicks converse through the shell, allowing chicks to recognize their mother’s voice.” As I said before, I’ve not been a fan of chickens.  So, I never thought about their communication skills. But most of these facts have to do with some form of communication. Birds of all kinds must be much smarter than I have ever given them credit.Where my mom sits during the day, she can look out a huge glass door. My sister and her husband have placed several bird feeders outside of that door, so mom can watch “her” birds during the day.  Several times she has told me that some of the birds will come to the door and look in. We joke and I tell her they are asking her to come out and play. Of course, we laugh…but maybe they are communicating something. Maybe they are looking for her.  And maybe just maybe chickens have something to teach us about Kingdom living.If these fun facts are true, and according to Google, at least fact number 3 is, then the bond between parent and child (even if the parent is a hen and the child is a chick), is stronger than I ever considered.  Somehow these wonderful creatures have the ability to communicate to their babies- even when separated by a shell. Who would have thought? And what does this teach us about Kingdom living? Maybe that communication between us and God is not only possible, but desirable. God as our parent, not only has the ability, but desires and takes the initiative to communicate with us. Are we children of God?  Scripture says we can be. John 1: 12-13 reads, “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Have you received Him? Do you believe in His name? If so, then God is your parent, you are a child of God. But can we hear Him? Again, lets look to scripture to see what it says. John 10: 27 says we can hear His voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”  Again John 8:47a says; “whoever belongs to God hears what God says.”Scripture is clear, we have the ability to hear God’s voice.  But it takes being focused. The chick may have it easier than us.  There wouldn’t be much else to do inside the shell. So, listening for the purr of the momma hen would be a bright spot in their day. However, if we quiet our lives and listen, hearing the voice of God will become the bright spot in our day as well. So, learn the lesson from the chicken, learn to communicate to our Heavenly parent, who not only desires to speak to us, but is speaking all the time., we just need to learn to recognize His voice and listen.