You Don't Have to Kneel to Pray

It was the first of May and the Smiths, our neighbors that live across the field from us, were going on vacation for a week and asked if we could care for their chickens while they were gone. They have a dozen or so and I love doing it. It's a good walk over to their place and the two of us enjoy the exercise together.

It was our first day of caring for the chickens. At 4:30 in the afternoon, I went over there, by myself, to take the vegetable scraps I had been saving for the chickens and to gather the eggs. When the chickens saw me coming, they got all excited and started jumping up and down against the fence. I pitched the scraps over the fence into the pen.

While they were occupied, I went inside the little chicken house to gather the eggs from the 4 nests that are located under the window. Usually by that time of the day, there are no chickens on the nests. To my surprise, there were 3 chickens on the nests. Being an old farm girl, I gently ran my hand under the chickens and gathered all the eggs and took them home. I thought to myself, "They are really laying good." I had a bunch of eggs.

When I got home, Bill, my husband, told me that they had stopped gathering the eggs because the chickens were sitting on them. Oops!!! Nobody told me! They do have a rooster. So I took off down the path to return the eggs back to the hens.

When I entered the chicken house, three chickens came running through the cut out into the house to see what else I had for them to eat. I hadn't planned on that. I quickly shut the door so they couldn't get outside. I took my foot and gently gave them a little shove out the hole and back into the chicken pen. I proceeded to put the eggs back under the hens.

After returning the eggs to the hens, I went to open the door and it was locked! I was locked up in that tiny, dark chicken house where the chickens lay their eggs and also roost at night! I could not get out! I looked out the window and could see Bill plowing the garden. While I was gone, he had gotten the tractor out. There was not a soul in hollowing distance.

I just happened to have my flip phone and was hoping the battery was still charged. We don't get good cell service and there was no signal. I started to panic. I moved around in the chicken house trying to find a signal. I called Bill's cell phone and it did not go through. I called home to leave a message on the answering machine and it did not go through.

I paced the little space on the floor and tried the phone again while leaning over the chicken's nests and holding the phone near the window. I called Katherine who lives across the road from us. Fortunately, I got though but got the answering machine. I left a message, "Katherine, Bill is plowing the garden and I'm locked up in the chicken house. Please, come over and tell him to get me out of here!" I didn't even know if she was home.

I kicked the door. It didn't budge. I prayed, "Lord, please get me out of here."

I looked out again and Bill was still plowing. I knew it would be a while before he went to the house and missed me.

I kept trying to figure out what to do. Standing on my tip toes and leaning over the chicken's nest again to get as close to the window as I could, I called my friend, Maxine. She lives 4 miles from me. I was so relieved to hear her voice when she answered the phone.

I told her I was locked up in my neighbor's chicken house. Bill was plowing the garden and I needed for her to come and tell him where I was.

She said, "Is this a joke?" I said, "No! I locked myself up in the chicken house! I'm serious. I need you!" She thought that was hilarious and said she would be right out. I knew it would take her at least 10 minutes to get here.

As I looked out the window, I patiently waited. In a few minutes, I saw Katherine crossing the road and heading for the garden where Bill was still plowing. She told Bill I had called and the phone was breaking up but she thought she heard me say something about being locked up in a chicken house. He laughed and said, "I know exactly where she is. That's a good place for her."

That was a pretty sight when I saw him turn the tractor toward the path and come to my rescue.

I was some kind of thankful to get out of that chicken house. When I was walking back home, I saw Maxine driving down the path to meet me. I smelled too bad to get in her car and ride back home. We had a good laugh.

When I got home, I pulled off all my clothes, put them in the washing machine and took a hot shower. I even used my Netti Pot and rinsed my nose.

Don't underestimate the power of prayer. You don't have to get on your knees for God to hear your plea.