Isn’t life just a little crazy? When I think things are going along smoothly, something unexpected happens to throw off my routine. This past week, a chicken randomly arrived in our yard. We do live out in the country so chickens are not totally foreign to us. However, this bird seemed to come out of nowhere. We have neighbors with chickens but none of them have this type. I have learned from my farming friends that it is an Araucana, originally bred in Chili. They lay blue eggs. It’s a beautiful and surprisingly friendly bird.
So we have had a decision to make. Do we try to find someone to take the chicken or do we keep it? Since we know absolutely nothing about chickens, logic would say that we should find it another home. We’re not even knowledgeable enough to tell if it is a hen or a rooster! But against better judgement, we have fed it wild bird food and plan to make a trip to the local Tractor Supply to pick up some chicken feed and a chicken coop. I’m actually anxiously hoping it is a hen so we can have blue eggs. What a novelty!
It’s really not uncommon to have the unexpected fly into our lives. It happens all the time. How we respond can turn the unexpected into a drudgery or transform it into an adventure. I can recall several times when events or people randomly appeared in my life unexpectedly. I had to decide then what my response would be.
Many years ago, we had a man from Alaska come to the airport to have work done on his airplane. I came home from work one day to find out that my husband had invited him to stay in our guest room at the house rather than in a hotel. I was a little unsure about inviting a perfect stranger into our home and really would have liked to have been asked first. He ended up living in our home for a month while the work was being completed. Needless to say, we became very well acquainted with Jeff during that month and since that time he has returned to visit us and we have visited him in Alaska on more than one occasion. He was an unexpected visitor that was offered hospitality transforming him from just a passing acquaintance into a cherished friend. I have gained a number of great friends through odd circumstances such as this over the years.
Another unexpected event happened when I married Tim 7 years ago. I had been divorced for 6 years and never expected that I would ever have more than my 3 children from my first marriage. But with Tim, I gained 3 step children. Granted, they are not with us as often as we would like since they live in Tipton with their mom, but the time we have with them is wonderful. I never really imagined that I could love them as I do. I have adopted them into my heart as if they are my own. I have learned through this that your children do not have to be biologic to be loved deeply. Love is not limited. It can be dispensed lavishly and never be diminished. There is more than enough to go around for all 6 of them. My children are all grown and live in their own places. Tim’s oldest, Timothy is now in his 3rd year of college and Tim’s Anna (yes, we have 2 Anna’s) goes away to University of Indianapolis in a week. Jack will be our one and only at home soon. He will miss his Sis since they are very close but he will also bask in the personal attention he will have when she is away.
Both of these circumstances were totally unexpected but have ended up becoming great blessings in my life. I could have approached them with an attitude of resignation and resentment. But I chose not to go down that path. Instead, after some initial shock, I chose to embrace these situations whole heartedly. I’m so thankful that I did. What fun and joy I would have missed!
So I guess my point in all of this is…when a chicken flies into your life, don’t be too quick to shoo it away. Maybe God intended this just for you. In “The Hobbit” by JRR Tolkien, Gandalf points to providence when he asks Bilbo, “You don’t really suppose do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?” What seems like a chance meeting or circumstance, just might lead to a pivotal juncture in your life. God does that sort of thing behind the scenes. Expect the unexpected since this is often the way He works to move us into His blessings. Embrace the unexpected as pieces of the great adventure God has in store for you.
