With and Without

NicNac and His Girls

Our favorite rooster died yesterday.

My husband and I loved this rooster, NicNac (son of RicRac)! He was a protector, food-finder, and king of the harem. Spiritual lessons were brought to life by the antics of this noble king of the poultry realm. His strut was majestic. His duties were taken seriously and justly. Now, the yard is out of kilter for the feathered friends. All are at loose ends this morning. The little bantam rooster is now king. Quite a contrast of leaders. He thinks he's as majestic as the former king, but his lack of stature in height, weight, and girth is very evident. He's trying! He's all the hens have at the moment. Was NicNac taken for granted by his kingdom? "Without" their grand king NicNac, will they settle for the little rooster, ChooChoo, who is striving to be their "with" today?

How many times have I substituted another wanna-be, small king for my Grand, Almighty King? The wanna-be who makes me think I'm getting all the "withs" I want, but in the end it all leads to "withouts". And my Grand King who knows the "withs" I need is taken for granted and the "withouts" are of my own making.

NicNac would lead his group to choice spots during the day. Choosing times for water, dusting, and resting from the climate elements. I watched him stand patiently while his harem nourished themselves around him. He'd peck at a morsel now and then, but his main duty was finding the food and then guarding his hens as they replenished their greater need than his of food, in order to produce their daily egg. NicNac's attentive duty over his "girls" was for "fruit" production. Sound familiar? NicNac's purpose for his harem was to bring all the "withs" they needed to sustain and produce life. Those times when hens were allowed to "set" on a collection of eggs, the result was a new hatching of chicks that bore the image of their Grand King. He produced life "with" his markings. His chicks were recognizable.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about my Grand King never being near. I'll never be "without" Him. My questions through this incident is: "How aware am I of my King's constant Presence?" "Am I only grateful for His gifts and blessings, but not enough to love others, be the evidence of His markings, and be a humble display of Who's I am?"

I have to say humorously, I'm glad I don't have to lay an egg everyday! Soberly, I have to say that I should be producing fruit daily as a result of all the "withs" that My Grand King lavishes over me.