Terrorized Chickens and Patience with People

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“May my words and works allure others to the highest walks of faith and love! […] Cause me to be a mirror of thy grace…”

Excerpt of “Christlikeness” from The Valley of Vision

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My family has been through a chaotic chicken vs. dog war this month.

Several weeks ago, one of our dogs killed a neighbor’s chicken. Ironically, the dog’s name is Bandit, so she lived up to her title. Considering that we live in West Africa – where chickens are plentiful – we decided it would be best to train Bandit not to kill chickens so the scenario wouldn’t happen again.

Some of our friends – who own both chickens and dogs – told us that if you tie a dead chicken around a dog’s neck the dog would stop wanting to kill chickens. Disturbing, right? But, they had tried this on their dogs and it worked, so we decided it was worth trying with Bandit.

And to test if it worked, we got a new chicken.

Little did we know, we were turning our yard into war territory.

The Terrorization of the Chickens

We got a new chicken, named her Chickaletta (please don’t judge our chicken-naming skills), put her in the same yard as our dogs, and waited to see what would happen next. Despite our hesitations, Chickaletta survived the test, and we happily decided to get more chickens because…why not?!

The next day, we brought in four more chickens: Ruffles, Wingfeather, Goldie, and Betty-Lou (again, no shaming the chicken names). Content with our new situation, we all went on with our days. Until about two in the afternoon when we heard squawking – that sounded more like screaming – outside.

Running outside, we found Bandit and Mocha – our other dog, chasing the chickens, one of which was dead. We identified it as Wingfeather, cleaned up the mess, tied up the dogs – with the chicken near both of them this time – and hoped they would learn their lesson.

Despite our best attempts, the next day, Betty-Lou died. And the next day, Goldie died. Whereas, at first, the dogs seemed afraid of getting caught, now they are rebelliously running after chickens at any chance they get. Currently, the dogs are separated from most of the yard and the chickens are too terrorized to lay any eggs – or move around much for that matter.

So far, the dog vs. chicken conflict continues and, surprise, surprise, God brought about a spiritual lesson from it when I least expected it.

People Need People to Be Patient with People

Personally, I don’t really like dogs. (Everyone just gasped, I know). I understand why people like them; they just aren’t my favorite. So, you can probably imagine how much more I didn’t like them when our dogs kept killing off the chickens. In fact, I was quite annoyed with them. I asked my mom, “Why are they so dumb? It’s not like we aren’t disciplining them and training them to not do it. They just keep doing the same thing repeatedly.”

My mom’s response was gentle and kind, true to her nature. She simply said, “they’re just following their instincts. They aren’t human, you know.”

True.

The next morning, I was praying over one of my friends who seems to have rejected their faith and, in my sorrow over them, I grew frustrated. Once again, I went to my mom: “I don’t understand. Why do they go through these highs and lows? It’s not like they don’t have the resources to be strong in their faith. And it’s not like they don’t know what’s true and what isn’t. They just keep doing the same thing repeatedly.”

My mom, once again, just smiled and said, “be patient with people.”

I’m not patient with people.

I feign patience. In fact, I’m quite good at talking with people patiently and treating them patiently, but, in my heart, I’m screaming: why can’t you just get this?? I think most of us can relate.  

But there are two problems with my impatience with people:

1) I don’t “get” everything all the time either – or most of the time, for that matter.

2) we have a sin nature – as my mom said about the dogs, people are just “following their instincts.”

The dogs are killing off chickens on the daily. It’s a problem and it needs dealt with. But they also need patience from humans who understand their situation: they’re just dogs, they’re following their instincts, and they’re going to make mistakes…even if it includes feathery chaos.

In the same way, people are hurting people – and themselves – on the daily. It’s a problem and it needs dealt with. But they need patience from humans who understand their situation: they’re sinners, they’re following their instincts, and they’re going to make mistakes…though, thankfully these mistakes don’t often involve feathers.

We need to be patient with people.

I need to be patient with people.

The Difference Between Being Patient with People and Being Patient with Dogs

There is, however, a motivating difference between being patient with dogs and patient with people: people, through faith and God’s grace, have the power to change.

While dogs are destined to always be dogs, people have the choice between eternal depravity and eternal glory. People have potential to be a new creation. Not because of their own power, but because of God’s power in them.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.”

– 2 Cor 5:16-17

We need to see people as souls.

We need to see them as Heaven-bound or Hell-bound. New creation or old creation.

If we do that, patience will come a lot faster.

When talking with the Roman centurion in Matthew 8, Jesus said, “many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This is in the context of Him comparing the faith of Israel to that of the Roman centurion, thus the mention of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the “sons of the kingdom,” but the truth applies: everyone is destined for heaven or hell.

At the end of the day, what really matters, is whether the people around us have a seat at that table.

A lot of my friends do. And a lot of my friends don’t.

That brings me joy and sorrow. Such is the Christian walk: it is one of celebration and mourning, laughter and tears. We must recognize the people around us – in every interaction, not just the regular people we see, but the grocers, the clients, the waiters, etc. – as souls.

Where are the souls in your life going? Do they have a seat at the table? Are you both able to eagerly talk about the invitation like two friends would talk about their excitement in attending another friend’s wedding? Or is one of you going and the other unsure if they can fit it into their agenda?

While dogs can be trained and played with and loved…humans are souls balancing on the edges of eternity.

And they need our help finding the right path.

So be patient with people.

God’s Patience with People

A couple weeks ago, my family went to the coast of the country. My little sister determined to come swimming with us older kids – out in the ocean – and we agreed so long as she held my hand or stayed very near. About halfway through, she went back to the shore for something and the rest of us stayed in the water.

After she left, the waves grew more intense, being both larger and stronger. My little sister, unaware, chose this time to come back into the ocean, and started walking towards the waves. I could see that the waves were too big for her to cross over by herself, so when I saw her walking towards them, I yelled at her to back up and wait. (To clarify, I only yelled so that she could hear me from the shore).

She kept walking.

I yelled again and motioned her backwards. She kept walking. And, boom. The wave crashed, hit her, and tumbled her all the way back where she started.

She stood up, a little wobbly and a complete, sandy mess, and started walking toward the waves again. Once again, I told her to wait and motioned for her to stop. She kept walking. And, once again, she was knocked out.

My brother was able to get out of the waves and help her, and when she got to me she grabbed my hand and said, “that was scary! Why didn’t you come for me?”

I said, “Boo (my nickname for her), I told you not to come, yet. Why didn’t you listen?”

She said, “I thought you were telling me to come to you!”

Miscommunication happens all the time. Even in our spiritual walks. There have been times in my life where I thought God was telling me to do something and, as it turned out, He wanted me to do the complete opposite! And, in those times, I am grateful that God is patient with us.

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. […A]s far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.”

– Psalm 103: 8-9;12

It’s not uncommon for us to be walking towards the waves persistently, stubbornly, before waiting to make sure we’re understanding God’s instructions clearly. And, it’s also not uncommon for us to get knocked out and need some help. Because we are sinners and He is God.

We are in desperate need of His saving. We are in desperate need of His patience. My patience is weak. I’m just the owner of lowly dogs and I still want to give up on them when they make a mistake. God, however, is so unlike me. He is the creator of human life – intricate people who have true potential for good and, yet, who still do evil. And He does not give up on us.

What a gracious, patient God.

Notice vs. 12 of Psalm 103 mentions that He will remove our sins “as far as the east is from the west.” Sound familiar? The verse I mentioned earlier, with the Roman centurion, said “many will come from the east and the west” (Matt 11:8).

Hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth, God was describing His patience for all the earth. What a good God we serve. I struggle to be patient for one day and yet God has been patient since the beginning of time.

How beautiful.

And, honestly, being patient with people doesn’t mean that there isn’t a time and place for discipline. God disciplines rightly, justly, and eternally. But He is patient in His wrath and just in His discipline. Whereas, I am often quick in my wrath and selfish in my discipline. Patience isn’t about accepting all faults; it’s about recognizing faults, and choosing to see beyond them because there is hope yet.  

Care well for the souls around you. They are hurting. They need Jesus. And they need someone to mirror God’s grace to them.

Be patient with people.

Because God is patient with us.

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