He Lives!

"He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and He talks with me

Along life's narrow way...."

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son...."  -John 3:16 (NIV)

HAPPY EASTER from all of us on the Shawhan farm! No one is denying the significance of the day and beauty that is surrounding us. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and the lilacs are still blooming; when Easter comes with such beauty, I think it's easier to remember what happened so long ago on this day. I think we have a greater appreciation and really see God's wonder than if it was 40 degrees and raining.

Lately the above quote from John 3:16 has reminded me of my chickens. (I'm sick, I know...) But if you think about it, a chicken gives you something of itself every day and we take it away without thinking about what's really inside. Not to gross anyone out, but the contents of an egg are an unborn chicken. Though not fully developed yet, if you're getting eggs from us, more than likely with 21 days of camping out under a heat lamp, you'd have a baby. So in a way, the chickens are giving us their children. (Hopefully this doesn't freak anybody out and you all still eat eggs!)

I've been known to bluntly say that God made animals below us for a reason. They don't talk and think like we do; they were put here to serve us in a number of ways, be that to eat, eat a product produced by them, work for us or act as a companion.  But after really looking inside, maybe I was wrong to make that statement and conclusion. Maybe God put animals on this planet to remind us of Jesus.

Jesus served selflessly and tried to teach us to be selfless. How many chickens go into a nest box every single day and sit and wait until the egg is laid? They sit even longer to make sure it's safe when you know they'd rather be out foraging around in the dirt. How many dogs lead the blind through crowds of people, when they would probably rather be running around smelling every nook and cranny? How many times does a horse willingly take a cold metal bit in it's mouth to plow up a patch of dirt that won't serve them any way in the future? Or a cow whose sole purpose in life is to produce milk? We ask of them and they do it with no questions asked and most of the time, with no resistance.

"He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives:

He lives within my heart."

As we all enjoy this Easter day, let us be reminded that He lives! Not only in OUR hearts, but in theirs as well.