MORNING MANNA         2-7-22

 Good examples are of great value. Sometimes we are faced with difficulties that seem too great for us to defeat, or burdens that appear too heavy to bear, and then we see another succeed and we find courage to face the challenge. And when it comes to facing evil we need all the good examples we can find. Here’s one that just might be helpful to you:

It’s the story of a Christian lady who owned two prized chickens. One day, they got out of their cage and wandered into the garden of an ill-tempered neighbor. When the neighbor realized the hens were loose in his yard, he caught them, wrung their necks, and threw them back over the fence hoping that would teach his neighbor a lesson.

Obviously, the woman was upset when she discovered her neighbor had killed her chickens, but she didn’t retaliate by rushing to his house to yell at him. Instead, she took the two deceased birds, dressed them, and made some chicken pot pies. She then carried one of the pies over to the man who had committed the crime.

Her children, expecting an angry scene among the two, hid behind a bush in the man’s yard to see his reaction. But when the Christian lady apologized for not being more careful about keeping her chickens penned up, they saw he was left speechless! That chicken pie he held in his hands, along with the apology, filled him with embarrassment and shame.

You see, the woman wasn’t trying to get even. She wasn’t returning evil for evil. All she wanted to do was show her neighbor the meaning of true Christian love. And her actions could have been the catalyst to bring him to faith in Christ. What a challenge this is for you and me today!

Remember, when you’re good to others you are best to yourself! – HDS