When Someone Steals Your Chickens

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.