I let the girls out in the yard again. For as much as James and I love to be outside, the chickens come bursting through the run door with a similar enthusiasm for spring sunshine.
We usually let them out when we are done with our projects for the day. When we are ready to just sit back in a lawn chair and talk about the day, the progress or even start planning for what’s next. The girls run all through the flower beds, kicking mulch into the yard and digging holes in all the wrong places, but it’s hard to say no when I enjoy digging in the beds and getting dirt under my nails as well.
I noticed Iris was acting a little out of sorts, however. She kept running back over to the run door and clucking away. She’d go inside for a moment and then come running back out to eat more grass, search for insects and hope for something green.
It wasn’t hard to figure out the issue. Iris needed to lay her egg for the day. But, like James and I both, she didn’t want to be inside for even a single moment on such a nice day. James laughed as I reassured Iris the sun will in fact come out again tomorrow and it was okay if she just went inside for now and laid her egg. Certainly, she would feel better after, in any case.
I opened the coop door and James took the winter locks off the windows so I could open those as well. Iris finally went inside and hopped up into the nesting box to lay.
When I peeked in on her, she reminded me of a quote from a book I am currently reading (as well as Scripture, of course), “Be still and know.”
Sometimes, we need to just be still and know that the joy that surrounds us isn’t fleeting. It’s within us all the time if only we recognize its residence. Sometimes we need to just be still and know that our daily accomplishments are no minor things, but are the very things that give us purpose and meaning and joy. Chickens might never understand how important laying their daily egg is to the world, but the world sure understands how important that single routine task is.
Later, when I went out to collect the eggs, I looked at all the colors and as usual, thanked each contributing chicken, grateful for each one that took time out from basking in the sun to lay today. And tomorrow, when I go to work I will (try) to remember to be still and know that what I do throughout my day contributes to my joy, to my purpose and my meaning. My contribution to the world might not seem significant at times and I might wish to be out basking in the sun instead, but I know there’s a time for that as well.
I am thankful today, that Iris took the time to be still and I know her egg will be enjoyed thoroughly for her patience.
Blessed Little Things 