WILL THE REAL CHICKEN PLEASE STAND UP

We had the opportunity to go eat out at our favorite restaurant in Abidjan called Chez Abdul’s. Somebody wanted chicken; the waiter asked us if we wanted a whole chicken with that order which the answer was yes. I thought to myself, "Somebody’s a little hungry, how in the world can they eat a whole chicken." Not long after, here comes the yard bird. At first, I thought they had ordered a two-piece from KFC and I asked, “Where’s the chicken?” They told me that was the chicken, a whole chicken. A real man from the states could eat seven whole chickens here. The chickens here have been on a hunger strike for sure. I’ve seen chickens running around everywhere and they look the same as they do in Mississippi. I guess their feathers are just swolt up because that’s all they are is feathers. The little bannies back home carry more weight around than these do because we pour the feed to them in Mississippi.

Here, they are just plain old chickens scratching around trying to survive, fighting the lizards for a good old worm and any other kind of grub they can find. Opposed to the American chicken that lays up in a big nice house eating all the food they can stand. I ask you which chicken is the real chicken. American or African? Which is the most natural? I would have to go with the African chicken. For you see, it’s just a plain old chicken doing what a chicken is supposed to do and he’s not eating himself into a coma. I believe God wants us to be the same as my friend the African chicken or affectingly Af-chick. Not high on our accomplishments and certainly not swolt up with pride. God wants you to be you and me to be me. Let me go a step further God wants you and I to be all that He created us to be for His Glory. You know I will never be a David, a William, or a Mike. I will always be Guy and no one else. And that is who God wants me to be. And again to my friend the American chicken you may be swolt, you may taste better and believe me you do, you may even cost more but you know what? You’re still an old chicken no matter what you do. For a chicken, that’s the best it gets; but for us, there is so much potential in Christ. God took great delight and care to form each one of us inside our mother’s womb. Everything about us is unique and He so very much wants the best for you and me. Let’s give Him our lives and let Him make the best chicken He possibly can with each of us. Who knows He just might make fried chicken, chicken potpie, chicken and dumplings. You get the picture. So, when you bow your head to say grace over our friends, thank God that we can be honest with Him. He sees us at our worst; but Glory to God He sees us at our greatest potential in Christ.

Return to fifth newletter (4/1/2002)
Return to Letters Page