Ladomato Living

In the past, I have equated being “productive” with feeling busy and having lots to do–much like a busy hen (sometimes like one with its head cut off). I find that it is easy to become flustered and flurried, and in the midst of this to miss the peace of God and lose sight of the eternal purpose that God has for that moment of my life. I was thinking today about how thankful I am for my husband and his qualities as a man of God. I was also thanking the Lord for the stability and vision that he adds to my life, as I am led and guided by him as the head of our home. Here is a brief description of an analogy that passed through my mind on this matter:

A hen runs about in the farmyard, flapping her wings, fluffing her feathers, and clucking loudly.
“I’ve so many tasks,
So much to accomplish,
So little time!” She clucks excitedly.
She finds herself all too easily overwhelmed,
Perhaps becoming distracted by what the other hens are doing,
Comparing her accomplishments (or lack thereof) to others,
Trying furiously to finish her “task list”, to be “on top of things”, and to feel that her day has been productive.
She is unaware in her flurrying that she often exerts much more energy than would be necessary–
causing her to forget important details, or to have to redo things sometimes.
Her excited clucking is prone to cause her to expend all kinds of energy running back and forth,
just trying to remember exactly what it was she was on her way to do.
Then the rooster comes along–
Strutting through the farmyard in all his God-given majesty.
He is calm, strong and and moves in a sure-steady way.
He has a way of calming the hen, in all her flurry,
Of directing and focusing her efforts,
And of getting her “back on task.”
“You need to stop all that fuss and flurry,” says he, “and get back on the nest of eggs where you belong.”
The hen, in all her flurrying, has forgotten that this is what she was designed for,
The exact task that God has made her capable of,
And that this is “the most important thing in her day.”
It is what makes her life “of great worth.”
And so, with the rooster’s prompting, she hops back on the nest,
And becomes at peace and content again.

Of course, “being on the nest” is not just an act of motherhood and childbearing. It is really learning to work in a focused, peaceful manner at whatever tasks the Lord has assigned to you. And “the rooster” can be a husband, a father, or any other one who is in spiritual headship over you.

For me, the Lord has not given me any children yet, but my God-given “nest of responsibilities” is caring for my husband, seeking to be his helper, managing the home, and looking for ways to serve and bless the saints.

For other women, God may not have given them the gift of marriage. These women also have God-given “nests” that they can work at with all their hearts. Perhaps it is serving your parents by helping out with younger brothers or sisters, or assisting your grandparents, or working at a job as to the Lord.

But whatever our “nest” may be, we can know that God DOES have a purpose for our lives … and it is often NOT found in all the “fuss and feathers.” We need to remember to “be still and know that God is God”, and to seek out and be tender to the purposeful direction and vision of those whom God has placed over us. If we insist on merely the “fuss and feathers”, our own feelings or our “self-worth”, we are going to find ourselves prone to anxiety and weariness, missing the plans and purpose that God has for our lives here on earth, and ultimately find ourselves disqualified for the Kingdom of Heaven (2 Peter 1:3-11). God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. By faith, we need to make use of what He gives us. This is the only way we can overcome this world and have true life, indeed.