A MONASTIC CHICKEN.. and The LORD said, "WATCH !"



Young Brahma Rooster
Photo by The Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

 The Call of the Monastic at Heart..... 

This is "Rooty" 

a fine young Brahma rooster 

rescued by The Order of The GOOD SHEPHERD+ from our neighbor's hatchet and stew pot. We ransomed  him by offering the neighbors an organic hen in his place, one already prepared for the stew-pot, via the local grocery store. 

As I labored to establish a suitable and secure ample chicken yard for our ransomed rooster, my hands soon became scratched and a bit gouged since the work gloves were too much a hindrance to use when tying the fencing together.   

But anon, the pen, almost circular, was established and our neighbor gamely caught Rooty and brought him to his new pen... but not without a massive struggle. 

Rooty squawked up a fuss! Such sounds as I had never heard coming from a bird ! The entire neighborhood here in the countryside likely heard Rooty's squawkings. 

However, our fearless neighbor held Rooty tightly, soothing and talking to the bird and calming him down as she sweetly carried him to his new abode.  

Now, this new pen is more-than-ample for one rooster.

He has his own water dish, his own feed, his own bits of apple and fruit and even some cast-offs from our bread-baking. He has mounds of freshly dug dirt to dig around in, a converted dog drum  (a large, cleaned out and newly-strawed 55-gallon drum ) for a shelter, and ample bugs for snacks.

There are also some tomato plants still growing there, a few flowers, and some well-trampled weeds. 

The chicken yard has a tree or two in its corners and some shrubs that overhang the fence... altogether a comfortable place for a sole chicken. 

And, to keep him safe from over-head predators, there are strung lines of twine from high on a post in the middle to the sides of the fencing round about. That way, Rooty will be uncomfortable about flying out and predators will be uncomfortable about flying in and possibly entangling their wings on the twine lines. 

When all was completed, we watched how Rooty would adapt to his new home. 

THEN, I felt The LORD draw near, and say, "Watch what he does."

So, I watched. Here is what Rooty did: 

He ignored his food. He ignored his water. He ignored his protective shelter and new straw. He tromped on the flowers without stopping to gaze and did not even consider the tomato plants.

He spent his time in frantically circling the circumference of the chicken yard ... back and forth, back and forth... at the fence-line, nearly entangling his neck in unfruitful efforts,  trying various methods to escape... and go back home. 

It was his one, well-established goal in his little chicken mind: to go back to his former coop. 

He did not realize that the hatchet and stew-pot awaited him there. He only wanted what was familiar to him.... comfortably familiar.  

He did not realize that he had been rescued from certain death in a few days. 

He only knew that he had been chosen to be ostracized, separated from his fellows... whom he had been with since a chickling. 

He only knew that this was not HIS choice, to be separated from the only coop he knew as "home."

Thus, he paced and paced around and around the chicken yard discontentedly. He did not want to be here at all. 

Yet, in separating him from his fellows, he was being saved. 

Yet, in NOT remaining in his comfortable, familiar place "that he had always been in", he was put in a situation for his own good. 

Yet, in compassion upon his LACK of AWARENESS, he was protected by an intelligence larger than himself.

Can I+ not do with you as you have done with this rooster... to save his life? saith The LORD.

Can you not receive My+ protection more graciously that this rooster has received his? saith The LORD.

Can you not listen to ME+, rather than to the cluckings of your own heart ? saith The LORD. 

Can you not be content to live where I+ have called you to live... alone with ME+, without your fellows, for a season,  for your own good? saith The LORD.  

You will learn to follow ME+ and know MY+ Voice this way, in this separation. That is the only place of safety for you now. 

Eat My+ food and drink My+ drink that I+ provide for you. It is the only nourishment that will keep you alive.

The Call of the Monastic at Heart ~ ~ ~

Sr. Judith Hannah  + + +

   

To the Struggling Monastics...

Remember this: Our GOD is a JEALOUS GOD.

HE+ did not call you to be monastic

in order to be with a group.

Rather,

HE+ called you to be monastic

in order to

be with HIM+.

HE+ has placed this call upon your life; you will not be happy until you embrace it. There is simply no way around it. And yes, you WILL feel alone in it... but you won't be because you have HIM+. Plus, many, many others have been called to a semi-hermetic, monastic life-style ... hidden from the eyes of the world... but you can't see them or find them. If you could, it wouldn't be monastic, would it ?

.

Yes, you may attend a group from time to time or on Sundays for fellowship... but don't give them your heart. Meet them through JESUS. Keep in mind you are not going for you, but for them.

So, do what you can as a semi-hermetic Monastic.

If HE+ calls you to prayer stations throughout the day, DO THEM.

If HE+ calls you to get up in the middle of the night for time with HIM+, DO IT.

If HE+ calls you to read through the entire book of Psalms every week,

then DO IT.

How little these acts of obedience are

compared to what HE+ has done for us!

Furthermore, you don't need a group to do these

(or some such similar things.)

These are simply

individual acts of discipleship,

individual acts of worship,

individual acts of devotion

which HE+ has called you to do.

.

And dear ones, reflect on the outside what HE+ is doing on the inside.

Search HIS+ will and don some kind of a habit.

.

Sisters, cover your body in some kind of modest apparel: no cleavage, no thighs. Do what you can do to NOT APPEAR LIKE THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. No, you don't have to look frumpy; be dignified, as befitting an Ambassador of the KING+. Give NO WITNESS to the world and its capricious fashions. It won't kill you.

One way to do this is to dress in solids instead of prints or plaids or stripes. Solid colors give a more dignified, more somber appearance. In the hot summer, solid whites or solid beiges are fine, with tops and bottoms being the same or close to the same colors because that looks more monastic, more separated. Avoid colors which draw attention to your Self. It won't kill you.

.

Sisters, seek HIS+ face and don a head-covering of some sort , coming into line with the Word in I Cor. ll. Be brave enough to wear it in public, also, so as to not deny HIM+ in public. It won't kill you. What it will do, though, is set you apart so that hungry, hurting hearts will make a bee-line for you when the coast is clear [i.e., when no-one is looking ] !

.

Brothers should also dress in a separate way, covering their bodies with clothing that reflects modesty instead of today's fashions. Solid colors are simply more dignified. Vests are always good. Suspenders help. Shirts with collars (versus Tee's) lend more sobriety.

.

The LORD does not want us to learn to cling to each other; that is something we must UN-learn. HE+ does not want us to cling branch to branch, but rather simply to the VINE+ HIMSELF+. Groups distract us; HE+ wants our UN-divided attention... at all times.

.

Take heart, little flock. Be of good cheer.

Ye are of much more value than the little sparrows.

Do the Work I + have called you to do, without distress.

You will lack nothing meaningful.

+ + +