Welcome to '...from the coop'

Welcome to “…from the coop.” This is a place where I will write about things I notice; lessons I’m learning; observations; where I see God at work; musings from my little corner of the world.

But let me not get ahead of myself. I recognize that “…from the coop” may need a little explanation, so let me start there.

I’m a country girl. I grew up in an old farmhouse with a bit of land where we had a menagerie of animals including: my beloved black lab, Bell; various farm cats; cows; rabbits; floppy-eared goats that I showed in 4-H; and a Shetland pony named “Spooky” (let’s just say that the folks who named him knew something.) But the animals that left their mark on me the most were the chickens.

It all started with a huge Rhode Island Red rooster. I don’t remember his name, but out of the hundreds of chickens we raised on our farm, he stands out in my memory. That old rooster was a beauty and a bit of local celebrity. He had held the honor as the Grand Marshall for a parade and his photo donned the Oregon State Fair poster. But apparently his fame went to his head, as he was cocky (every pun intended) and mean. There was an entire summer that I dreaded leaving the house as every time I’d venture outdoors, he’d come after me on full attack mode. Until one day, my mom literally had to beat the creature off of me with a metal garbage can. I think he learned his lesson, but so did I – chickens are not to be trusted! That old rooster was the beginning of my no-love, all-hate relationship with chickens. This relationship has played out time and time again in different settings around the world. There are too many stories to tell of my run-ins with these feathered beasts. But let’s suffice it to say that I have never had a time where my heart hasn’t raced and my fear hasn’t risen to the point of terror when in the presence of poultry.

Which brings me to the present. I live on property with several of my extended family in homes around me. My little corner is a small cottage with a front porch where you can often find me with a book in my lap or watching the hummingbirds and deer. I love my cozy, little cottage, but the reality is that it is too small to accommodate my library of favorite books that I can’t seem to part with, my growing collection of art supplies, and my office space as well. So, as I took stock of my options for a workspace, I meandered into the old chicken coop. It had been empty for years and still held reminders of its feathered tenants. My first reaction was to turn tail and run as the space was filthy and gross, and I wasn’t fond of its former inhabitants. However, as I faced its view, it looked right into an incredibly peaceful grove of towering fir trees and I knew this was the space for me. So, with a lot of imagination and even more elbow grease, I now have a creative workspace…from the coop.

Why am I telling you this? Because I believe it holds some important parallels to life and to the call to Spiritual Formation. Jesus was always telling stories. Throughout the Gospels, he tells us about how the old has been made new. He calls us to walk in newness of life. Jesus was, and is in the business of restoration. There is beauty where there was brokenness. Isn’t that how God works? A place where there once would have been fear is now a place of peace.

…from the coop.