Someone stole our chickens. I’m still in disbelief and grieving.
Yes, the chickens gave us eggs but they were more like pets. We called a few of them “our girls.”
It’s such a violating feeling to have someone take something from your backyard. I wonder if it was in the night, while I sat in car line at preschool or while I was home. I can’t let my mind go there and let fear creep back in my heart. I fought too many years to trust the Lord while I’m by myself or at night.
I’m not going to let the enemy use this hard moment of someone else’s sin to make me afraid again. I’m choosing to live in God’s grace and freedom no matter my circumstances.
As my husband said, “Let’s just hope they were hungry and we’re helping to feed them.” I hope that’s really the case.
I don’t know the kind of hunger or desperation that gives you the guts to steal chickens from someone else’s yard. But I hope God will fill their tummies and at the same time convict their hearts for their need of the Bread of Life with each bite.
I’ve been praying a lot lately that God would take everything we are and have and will be — for His glory. I know that we are His. I know that the promised land He has given us is His. I know all of our gifts and talents are His. I know the three of us carry Him around everywhere we go, so He can work and move in the here and now. And I know our small little farm and everything that goes along with it is His. So, these chickens were never really ours to begin with. They were God’s chickens.
God is all knowing. He is all powerful. And He sees all. So, I’m trusting Him again this morning.
I’m trusting God that the chickens were needed somewhere else. I’m trusting Him to convict the hearts of those who stole from us, stole from Him. I’m trusting Him to pour an extra amount of grace and freedom in my heart. I’m trusting God to protect what is His and to do with it what brings Him good pleasure. I’m counting on God to help me focus on what is true, right, noble and pure.
I guess we’ll start over and get those baby chicks we were looking at the other day at the farm supply. For the time being, buying eggs from the store will be strange. I wasn’t prepared for the amount of loss a farmer deals with on what seems like a daily basis . . . and we haven’t really started our dreams for this place.
But I know God is showing us through our land and this small farm how He is in control, in the field, in the coop, and in our our home.
I know many of you have been robbed of much worse. Tangible, emotional, and spiritual things, some too hard to mention here, that the evil one has come into your very “backyard” and taken. But I know our God is a Restorer. God can restore everything the devil has stolen from you (see Joel 2:25).
May we forgive those who have given into temptation and been used by the enemy.
May we pray for those who have hurt us.
May we allow God to be in control of our circumstances.
May we trust our Father who loves us.
May we see God restore what has been stolen.
May we love and be a light through it all.
I pray this for you and myself. Let us trust God together to do the work of restoration.
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Thank you for sharing this! I have been struggling with someone who had stolen from me and all the emotions that go along with it. This truly helped me.
Wow , that is creepy. We had hens for years and they were definitely “part of the family.” Thanks for words that reassure me that God is in the business of restoration. Life takes away. God gives, even if we do not see the results on this planet.
Stephanie,
I am truly sorry for your loss. Any loss, no matter the size, leaves us feeling violated, angry, vulnerable and a whole host of feelings. How good and right to look at everything as belonging to God. He just asks us to be good stewards of His belongings. With regard to bigger losses, I can testify that God is true to His promise that He can and will restore the years that the locusts have eaten. Only in His power can we forgive and move on. He can bring joy to our hearts again when we thought that would be beyond impossible. He is our Redeemer, Restorer, Healer, and Rewarder. Thank you for that awesome reminder.
Blessings,
Bev xx
I had my innocence stolen at a young age, something only God could heal and restore. We live in such a fallen world, and the hearts of men are truly evil. The only good in the world is from God. And He is faithful. And He is just. And I have had to learn to forgive those who will never be sorry for what they have done, because God has forgiven me. And I have learned to ache for those who live in shame and guilt, and to love them and to bring them to Jesus, the One who doesn’t expect us to clean ourselves up before we kneel before Him, but to allow Him to clean us up after, for only His blood washes away all that the world, the flesh, and the devil have done to us. It is only His blood that can cleanse us. Nothing, nothing that we try to do can atone for it all. Only Jesus. And He is loving. And He is compassionate. And He looks at us with mercy and grace and forgiveness. Oh, the depths and the riches of His love! I am so eternally grateful that He can take what the devil meant for evil and turn it around and make it for our good and His glory. Only Jesus can do that. Praise His great name! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for these words …just wrote the last 7-8 lines on a card to reread again and again as a prayer. Last year Pappa God told me He had restored me after a 43 year marriage ended but I must daily remind myself of our great Gods healing powers and look to He holds me in His hands. Be Blessed.
((Hug)) I’m sorry, Stephanie. — Restorer. I like that. And, oh how He’s in the restoration business. Too many times to count, He’s met me in my distress and restored a sense of wholeness to my brokenness. I’m so indebted to Him.
Hi, Stephanie!
Just finished reading When Someone Steals Your Chickens.
Your blog posts picture was irresistible 🙂
What a cruel act of stealing your chickens. It leaves such an uncomfortable feeling when we experience somebody has been on our property without our knowledge.
Your husband sounds like a practical man – I image it’s difficult to follow his suggestion even if it’s good.
My favourite part of this particular blog post (something I love to find when I read blog posts :-)) was ” I know all of our gifts and talents are His.”
I’ve also thought a lot about that lately. When I do, I’m filled with a satisfied feeling because I have so much to be grateful for in life.
In the end, it’s like you, all that we have is received from God.
I pray for you and your family as well!
On Wednesday, September 6. I’ll share on my social media accounts.
With respect,
Edna Davidsen
Love this. Thank you for guiding my heart.
Satan is at work …. but God rules.
My ‘stolen’ is my former husband and the ‘secretary’.
My whole ‘material’ life was taken and my dreams shattered.
But I live my life knowing our Lord controls all and will restore.
Maybe my ‘hen’ needed to be stolen in order for God’s glory to work in my life.
Thanks and praise for your devotional
Oh no! I’ve so enjoyed at least one other post from you about your chickens (Fancy’s Feathers, I believe), and I’m sorry they’ve been taken. However, I love the attitude you’re taking toward the thief and the application for all of us. God is a restorer. It is all His, and He is in control, and He is good. Praying with you for the people/person who took the chickens. And also pausing to praise the Lord of the universe, who uses such things as chickens to teach us so much.
Thank you for this post. It has emphasized an aspect of our wonderful God for me to meditate on today. My whole childhood was stolen in various ways, and I can testify to the restorative power of the gospel! It has taken time; such is the nature of growth when we cooperate with His working in our lives and patiently accept each stage. Yes, I know those words are so much easier to say than to do, but it doesn’t make it any less true and so much worth the effort to keep holding on to it. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the person who trusts in Him.” ~ Psalm 34:8
So sorry! Love how you turned this into a beautiful lesson. And we have chickens too!
❤️
Thank-you for sharing words of God’s truth in a vulnerable moment. I haven’t had chickens myself, but my sister does and also considers them pets, so I know the pain is real. I’ve only had a couple of small things stolen from me in my lifetime, but relate to the inevitable feeling of being violated.
Praying that God continues to truly give you restoration on your farm and in your heart as you keep pressing on to trust him.
Dear Stephanie,
Thank you for sharing and using your experience through the grid of the LORD’s ways and workings!
I grew up on a farm and it was my job to gather the eggs, from our small flock of chickens. And I remember the days at the beginning of the season when the new chicks would arrive and my Dad would go pick them up, from either the train station or the post office. The fun of putting them in the “brooder” house and feeding them and watering them, what wonderful experiences the LORD blessed me with, that of course at the time I didn’t recognize!
Sometimes a raccoon would get into the chicken house at night somehow and devour one of our chickens. My Dad was very diligent until he could catch the raccoon and bring to the thief the just rewards for his thievery!
Thank you again, and I have been trying to apply some of these lessons you shared, to my precious Grandbabies.
May the LORD help you as you deal with this!
Beautiful post. The Lord will indeed restore and show Himself to be the Provider He is – when someone steals what isn’t theirs, when there is lack or loss in our lives. Our Lord is truly the God who provides. Sometimes it’s only when things like this happen that we’re able to see or are reminded of this beautiful truth of His character.
Hi Stephanie
This post could not have come at a better time. We’ve just gotten back home from holiday abroad staying with family. While we were there, someone or some people went into our bags and stole some of our items of clothing, some quite expensive and newly purchased for my kids and I. They also picked a few other things we probably haven’t realised yet because we went with gift items for people. I felt so violated and robbed and angry all at once and even thought of praying a prayer of judgment/curse like what happened to Gehazi after he went behind Elisha’s back to receive gifts from Naaman.
After reading this post I’m convicted and ask the LORD to help me temper justice with mercy and pray for God to do His own work of conviction on the perpetrators. It’s probably poverty that has driven them to such extreme actions. I will view those items as God’s first because after all He was the one who provided the money to purchase them in the first place. Those items are His and I pray He will use them to bring the person(s) to repentance.
Thanks once again.
Blessings,
Susannah
I Praise GOD for your article. I had something similar happen to me, and this article you wrote was such a blessing me! GOD bless you for sharing! Thank you!
So sorry that someone follwed their feelings of entitlement rather than integrity. Read, not long ago, to never say ‘at least’ to anyone grieving, BUT ‘at least’ coyotes or other predators didn’t get them. Pray you will have abundant, cheerful, good laying chickens with your new chicken family.
Thank you for writing this! I’ve been struggling lately after a friend suddenly cut ties (at least some social media ties). There are so many unanswered questions and I’ve been praying for restoration and reconciliation. But the pain has been pretty hard. I’ve been praying for this friend (I still consider her a friend, oddly). I have been praying that if this was something that was part of God’s will, that He gives me comfort and guidance. But if this is something that was done out of sin, that He be the judge. But I love that this post talks about how God is all-knowing and sees everything. He knows the condition of my heart. It’s been a long hard road for the last few weeks.
I’m glad you’re not letting fear get back in. God does care about even little things, but i was just telling my mother that she didn’t even realize what the devil had stolen from us, neither had I. When he robs you of health or money or anything, you are losing peace, His peace, and that’s the most important thing ever. Have you ever seen the movie The Egg and I? You might enjoy it.
Stephanie,
I’m so sorry to hear of what’s happened. Thank-you for sharing this with us, and for trying to help us see good in something bad.
Have a blessed day all,
Penny
Stephanie,
I understand your love of the chickens. Every pet I’ve ever had became a part of my family-like children to me. I am so sorry for you loss. God can & will restore, but the feeling of being violated is hard to overcome. Isaiah 61:3 states: “He has sent me to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” You will get beauty for your ashes. Thank you for praying for the “thieves”. The Bible tells us to pray for our enemies & those who persecute you.
Blessings 🙂
The devil, along with a couple of his human servants, stole and killed my only child. For years I shut down in an effort to protect myself emotionally. I gave in to the fear and was crippled by it.
But this past year, God has graciously freed me and allowed me to begin grieving this loss. Even in the midst of the overwhelming grief and seemingly unbearable pain, I’m finding that it is still true that God is in control and He is good. I’m praying that at the end of my grief I will find God has restored what Satan has taken, both with the initial loss of my daughter and with the subsequent loss of the years of numbness and denial. I am thanking Him for continuing to provide glimpses of hope, light, and comfort during the hardest and darkest of times. His mercies are new every morning! Great is His faithfulness!