Chickens, Coaches, Trust, and Psalm 23
Have you ever found yourself envious of the life of a pet chicken? Not the part where they have wings but can’t fly, have to wallow in the dirt in order to get clean, have to lay an egg just about every day, and have to balance on a small stick all night long without falling off in order to get a good sleep…..all while trying to keep from getting eaten by a large percentage of the living creatures on the planet. No, I’m talking about the part where the chickens (in my yard anyway) wake up every morning after a good sleep, sprint over to the duck pen to see if the ducks didn’t eat all of their dinner from last night, then sprint over to the bird feeders to eat any bird seed that fell out of the feeders in the night, then decide whether to go eat plums, apples, or grapes that fell to the ground overnight, or scratch for bugs in the dirt, or take a dust bath (because to them a dust bath is just about the best thing ever), or to just simply take a nap in the shade of the hydrangeas……..all without a worry in the world about the hawks, eagles, cougars, coyotes, raccoons, and neighborhood dogs patrolling the area 24/7. As their “shepherd,” I have found myself at times to be quite envious of the lives that our chickens have. Envious of the fact that they are probably enjoying each day without fear or worry, they have everything they need, they are cared for, and they are content.
I find that Psalm 23 is telling me that I can find the peace, comfort, and lack of worry or fear that my chickens experience every day. He will provide us with everything we need, protect us (even when it may feel that we are surrounded by circumstances trying to bring us down), provide peace, and always be with us. That sounds great. I’m all for it. So, how come it is so hard to feel that peace and comfort? I imagine a lot of us like the sound of what Psalm 23 is saying but don’t feel like we are currently lying in green pastures, next to still waters, and enjoying feasts while surrounded by turmoil. Why is it hard to find this? It seems like it all must start with trust. If I’m not willing to trust God, then it will be very difficult to find the peace and contentment and security that God is offering.
Verse 2 really pounds this idea of trust home for me. It states that “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” The word “make” is the word that gets my attention. I don’t think it is meant that God is making us do it against our will. Instead, it is more like a coach and an athlete relationship. A coach ‘makes’ a runner lift weights, or stretch, or……take a rest day. This dynamic works because the runner trusts that the coach knows what is best for the runner and can help the runner get faster. Even if the runner doesn’t like it and doesn’t want to do it, they will follow the coach’s direction if they trust their coach. This is what I see in verse 2. We need God’s help. We need God to ‘make’ us do things we wouldn’t normally do on our own. For our own benefit. That requires trust on our part.
The rest of the chapter goes on to talk about God leading us, comforting us, taking care of us, and preparing a place for us. All of these are also a result of taking the initial step of being intentional about trusting God. None of the other promises in this verse can happen unless we start out by trusting God. If I truly trust God, then I’ll let Him make me take a break and rest, I’ll let Him lead me in directions I would normally avoid, I’ll acknowledge that my soul needs to be restored, I’ll recognize that He is right beside me in hard times, I will sit down at the table he has prepared (even when surrounded by enemies and trials) and actually enjoy the blessings He has provided, and I’ll get to be with Him forever. In those moments when I commit to trusting that God will take care of me and the things going on around me, I am able to relax and recognize that I have so many blessings around me, and I'm able to appreciate and enjoy them. Kind of like what I see in my chickens each day.