Chicken House Fire

Today I'm happy to host Jennifer Hallmark, one of my fellow writers of the book A Dozen Apologies.

“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah” Psalm 32:7 NKJV

The year was 2009. The week had been busy and I was amazed by how much plain hard work was involved in a writing career. Websites, blogs, articles, and research vied for my time, not to mention my regular life. Add in the fact that I had begun to search for a literary agent to promote my novel, Journey of Grace and had been asked to become a contributing writer for brandlady.com women’s magazine. Can you imagine the week of work, decisions mingled with a bit of fear and exhilaration?

Has anyone out there noticed that in the life of a Christian if good things are happening, our adversary, the devil, isn’t happy about it? On Thursday, problems surfaced, beginning with my son’s car not running right. Now it was under warranty so we made plans to take it to the shop on Friday morning to drop it off and get a free rental for our trouble.

I decided my son and I could do our work in the chicken houses when we returned from the Ford place. At that time, we owned a farm with two 500-foot broiler chicken houses which hold 30,000 chickens apiece. The chickens were brought to us at one day old and we sold them to a processing plant when they reached six weeks of age, each chicken weighing a little more than four pounds. The work could wait until we returned so I stopped by to adjust the fans and check things over.

I adjusted the fan time in the second house control room, noticing an odd reading on the computer board. Upon walking in the door at the middle of the chicken house, I could see something orange near the back wall where the fans are placed. It looked like a small patch of flames surrounding the fans.

“Jonathan!” I hollered at my son who was waiting outside in his car. “Come quick!”

He entered the chicken house and ran toward the back to see how bad it was while I went back to check the computer panel again. In a moment, he returned.

“It’s a fire on the back wall!”

He called 911 while I drove back to our home to wake my husband who had worked off night shift.

I shook him. “Danny, get up. The chicken house is on fire!” He jumped up and dressed and we took off to help Jonathan.

Meanwhile my son had grabbed the small fire extinguisher and had exhausted it on the flames but it wasn’t enough. Danny grabbed a garden hose near the computer control room and while I waited for the fire truck, they were able to put out the fire.

Soon our farm was crawling with the local volunteer fire department, curious neighbors, family and folks in the area that heard the news on their scanners. The fire fighters checked the ceiling and walls in the surrounding area making sure there were no hidden hot spots.

In the end, the fire burned a twenty-five foot section of wall and ceiling and 20 chickens died, not from fire or smoke but probably shock. Some neighbors and a carpenter came and walled in the area so it would be weather tight. We would rewire and replace the burnt area after we sold the chickens in a few days. A faulty plug had shorted out, sending sparks that caught the chipboard wall on fire.

The natural gas workers, and people with Pilgrim’s Pride agreed it was a miracle the house had not burned to the ground. Most chicken houses are made of wood, heated with natural gas, with pine shavings on the floor and plenty of fans to drive a flame. Most houses that catch on fire burn down in less than twenty minutes. This fire only smoldered and though it had been burning for a while when we found it, the fans had no effect on the intensity of the fire.

As things were winding down that day, I continually thanked God for his protective hand over our farm. One look at the pictures our daughter snapped that day of the damage is enough to remind me of how blessed we’d been and how God truly watches over us.

 God is a proven rear guard and I’m forever thankful.

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Jennifer Hallmark: writer by nature, artist at heart, and daughter of God by His grace. She loves to read detective fiction from the Golden Age, watch movies like LOTR, and play with her two precious granddaughters. At times, she writes.

Her website is Alabama-Inspired Fiction and she shares a writer’s reference blog, Writing Prompts & Thoughts & Ideas…Oh My! with friends, Christina, John, Ginger, Dicky, and Betty. She and Christina Rich share an encouraging blog for readers called The Most Important Thing.

Jennifer and her husband, Danny, have spent their married life in Alabama and have a basset hound, Max.

Links to Jennifer:

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Join Jennifer and me in the adventures of Mara Adkins in A Dozen Apologies.

Remain Confident

Psalm27

There’s so much to be afraid of. A man could walk into my grandson’s school and shoot him. The economy could keep getting worse and we won’t have enough to live on when we retire. One of the terrorist groups could get through our defenses and bomb my home. This year a hurricane could hit Myrtle Beach. Someone I love could get cancer (again).

I don’t really sit around worrying about these things. I know God cares for me and will take care of me and those I love.

This Psalm reinforces that. God is our light and our salvation. God’s light is more than being able to see. God’s Light (Jesus) is what saves us. And that salvation is so much more than just knowing I’m going to heaven.

According to the Psalmist:

I don’t need to be afraid; I can be confident even if I’m attacked.

I can live in the house of the Lord where He will hide me when troubles come.

God has called me to fellowship with Him and He will hold me close, even if others abandon me.

He will teach me how to live and lead me along the right path.

These promises aren’t just what I can look forward to in Heaven. I will see His goodness while I’m alive.

All I have to do is wait patiently for Him.

There’s so much I could be afraid of. But there’s no need. The light is shining and He will and does save me.

Rescue

Isaiah 56:1-8

Good news! God is coming back to rescue His people and display His righteousness. Better news! God will rescue others besides His people, the outcasts of Israel.

When I read this passage I couldn’t help thinking of the current nation of Israel and its struggles to survive. I know there are different views among Christians about Israel, but I know God isn’t done with the Jews yet. I first became aware of the suffering of the Jews throughout history in high school when I read The Source by James Michener. I was horrified that a whole race of people had been persecuted because they set themselves apart, just as God commanded them to.

It’s ironic that they also suffered because they didn’t set themselves apart. The Old Testament is filled with stories of the rebellion of God’s people, His punishment, their repentance and His rescue. Over and over. The Israelites weren’t the only ones to rebel against Him, of course, and they are not the only ones He has rescued. That’s also the story of my salvation. 

Which makes this passage much more personal than just a promise to the Israelites. Just who does God say He will He rescue?

His people who honor His Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. 

These are the ones who have always known Him, who set themselves apart for Him. They don’t live like the world does, filling up their days with work and other activities, ignoring His standards. These are His people who are just and fair to all, who do right and good. Whatever their circumstances, they know they will be blessed. They’re going to be rescued from the world they’ve already turned away from. 

Foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord.

These were not originally His people, but they’ve come to know Him. They have committed themselves to Him and serve Him and love His name. They worship Him and they also set themselves apart. They hold fast to His covenant, by which He has grafted them into the House of Israel. He brings them into His house of prayer and fills them with joy in His presence.

Eunuchs who choose to do what pleases Him and commit their lives to Him.

This is an interesting category of people. Eunuchs are men who are childless because of the physical injury that has been done to them. They have no family, but more importantly, they have no children to honor their memory when they are gone. Essentially, they are mortal and their lives are short. Yet God promises to give them a better memorial than children give their parents. He promises to give them an everlasting name. These people suffer in this life, but will receive eternal life filled with blessings.

The one thing all three of these categories of people have in common is that they honor God’s Sabbath days of rest. They set aside time for Him and only Him. They don’t do wrong, they do what pleases Him, they hold fast to His covenant. In other words they set themselves apart from the world and live God’s way.

Whichever of these categories each of us belongs to, we can live in the hope that He’s coming back to rescue us. Good news indeed.

Sweet Grapes

Isaiah 5:4, 2 Peter 1:3-9

I can hear the disappointment and grief in God’s words. He’s done everything He can for me. He’s given me everything I need to live a godly life. And yet, I produce sour fruit. What more can He do?

What more can God do than everything?

So why am I not producing sweet grapes?

I’m shortsighted and blind. I’ve forgotten that He’s cleansed me from my sins.

I know something about poor vision. I started wearing glasses when I was eleven because I was nearsighted. I could see things that were close but everything far away was blurry. That changed when I had cataract surgery. I chose to have the doctor install lenses that allow me to see distance. But that means I can’t see things that are close up anymore. For a while I used reading glasses, but now I have bifocals. Either way, I can’t see what’s right in front of my face. I’m shortsighted and nearly blind.

When I apply this image to spiritual matters, I realize I must keep the knowledge of salvation right in front of me. The only way I can see what God’s done for me is to hold the Cross close and look straight at it. When I do, I can see that He’s given me everything I need to live a godly life; His great and precious promises. That’s all I need to produce sweet fruit.

Just like grapes, I want to grow a little every day. They start with a little bud on the vine, then a little cluster of tiny balls; they grow bigger day by day until they are a large cluster of sweet globes, perfect for eating or making the best wine. 

Here are the little globes of fruit that will grow if I cling to His promises:

Faith – I believe God loves me because Jesus died for me.

Moral excellence – I live by God’s standards.

Knowledge – I study God’s Word to learn more about Him and who He is.

Self-control – I sacrifice what I want in order to do what He wants.

Patient endurance – I rest in God’s goodness in the midst of suffering.

Godliness – I imitate Jesus in every attitude and action of my life.

Brotherly affection – I enjoy God’s people, my family.

Love for everyone – I show my love in practical ways that let Jesus shine through me.

I have a choice. I can remember my salvation, rely on God’s promises and bear sweet fruit or think of myself, forget what God has done for me and bear bitter fruit.

I can’t imagine anything worse than disappointing God.

Study War No More

Micah 4:1-5 

Close your eyes, pretend it’s snowing, and think about Christmas for a minute. (Okay, I know you don’t need snow for that – after all, I live in South Carolina.) Anyway, now think about shepherds on the hillside, listening in awe to the angels singing about peace on earth. It’s a wonderful message, but we all know they didn’t mean that moment was the end of war.

To borrow a cliché, war is ugly. Recently Wayne and I visited Fort Sumter in Charleston. We saw the big metal guns and the thick walls. We toured the museum where we were walked through the battles for control of the fort during the Civil War. We heard statistics about injuries and deaths. But the most powerful lesson was the American flag which had flown over the fort. It was spread out for us to see with frayed edges and numerous bullet holes. The day before, we had visited a plantation and walked down the slave street where we heard a story teller describe the oppressive life of slavery. I had no doubt the Civil war was necessary. But that doesn’t diminish the horror of it.

On a more hopeful note, this scripture promises that in the end, God will bring peace.

He’ll mediate between nations. There will be no more war.

Weapons will be turned into farm tools. People will enjoy their own vineyards and fig trees without fear. They’ll live everyday lives without conflict and they’ll be happy.

The mountain where He dwells will be higher than all the others; the most important place on earth. People from everywhere will stream there to worship Him and learn His ways and they will walk in His paths.

In the meantime, we can follow Him with that hope, even though the nations around us follow idols.