God has given us unique and beautiful gifts to help others.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Did you have chickens growing up? It was only because we moved into a parsonage beside Lake Erling Baptist Church, when I was little, that had a barn behind it, full of chickens, that I grew up with chickens. They were awesome. I loved the baby chicks. We raised one as a pet of course and we had eggs for days. I wish I had chickens now. You may have a chicken house and what a blessing I bet you are to so many because of the eggs you give away. How beautiful is that? While raising chickens back in the day was more a means of survival than it was trendy, today, suburban and urban chicken keeping and cooping or whatever you want to call it, is exploding! The pandemic had something to do with it, but raising chickens is continuing to be a very popular thing. Why all this chicken talk? Well, I recently heard a story, and for the life of me I can’t remember who or where it came from, but it was a story about chickens that is worth repeating. It made me pause and ask myself, what’s my one chicken? The story goes that back, I believe during the depression, a family lost everything to a house fire. They had a barn with about a dozen chickens. It was a rough time. Everyone was struggling. The community came together to help this family as much as they could during their time of need. One wife had an idea. All the families in the area, during that time, had chickens. What if they all gave one chicken? Twelve families came together, helped rebuild a pen, and all gave one chicken. Just like that, this family that had lost everything, was given a fresh start. What’s your one chicken? That’s the question for the day. What has God given you, blessed you with, that you can give away? Do you love to cook? Oh my friend Jeannie does! In a way, that’s her chicken. Without even being asked, she made dinner for my family while I was away for work one week. Mexican chicken casserole and M&M cookies became the chicken she gave away. Do you love to garden or work in the yard? One season, we had two dear friends decide to come over and help landscape our front yard. I don’t remember even asking, but it was just what we needed. They blessed us with their chicken. We have a family we love dearly in our church family. They have three little girls. We had a galentine's day celebration with those babies at our house one night so mom and dad could have a night out. That was our chicken. See where I’m going with this? Look around. People are in need of love, encouragement, care and service. They don’t need your judgement or opinion, they need the hands and feet of Jesus to see them and care for them right where they are IN their time of need. 1 Peter 4:10-11 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. God has given you a chicken! You have gifts that are beautiful and unique to you that are not meant for building YOU up, they have been given to minister to those around you. We are to build one another up, love one another and build UP the body of Christ. When we give those gifts we have been given and blessed with away, people encounter the love of Jesus and God gets the glory! That’s the truth. So what chicken can you give away today? Pray about it. God has someone around you right now that needs it. I’m Lori Cline.