Warning! Incoming Chicken!
By Ashley Mercier
One night, my dad asked his fresh-home-from-work question: “What’s for dinner?”
Busy prepping, my mom replied, “Barbecue chicken.”
Mom’s culinary skills in the early days of their marriage were … sub par. But she possessed great skill in quartering a chicken. This, plus barbecue sauce, created the aforementioned signature dish.
Dad usually moved on. That night, he audibly sighed. “Again?”
Like a pro-pitcher, my mom seized the chicken by its leg, hurling it directly at my dad’s head. He dodged. The chicken smacked the wall squarely, sliding a few juicy inches before thudding on the ground.
This story is family gold. And while I can’t quarter a chicken, I have definitely inherited my mom’s … creative approach … to dealing with frustration.
When I feel undervalued, I need perspective. Recently God drew my attention to minor verses like, “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee…” (Matthew 4:18, NAS). Days upon days of His glory-filled ministry on earth were spent doing seemingly mundane things.
He walked to gather disciples, rowed from town to town, slept with rocks as pillows. No doubt those days He heard grumbles from disciples, much like my dad’s, “Again?”
But to Jesus that next step, the next row, the traveling sleepless night—those were one step, row, and sleep closer to a blind man who would be healed, to the thousands He’d feed five loaves and two fish, and to a cross that would offer humanity (complaining disciples included) salvation.
This is where I hope to walk in marriage like He did on earth: remembering each lackluster meal I serve, carpool I drive, or ballgame I attend can be one step closer to raising a family that experiences—embodies—the glory of God.
And on occasion, when chickens fly? I hope to accept the grace offered by God and family, and move on with laughter and love.
The Good Stuff: Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17, NAS
Action Points: In what areas of your life are you struggling with discontentment? Are you able to joyfully serve your family? How can you connect the dots between the mundane and seeking God’s glory in your life and your family’s?
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