Tuesday, January 27, 2009

As a Hen Gathereth Her Chickens . . . A Poignant True Life Story


I was recently reminded of this story which I found years ago in Meridian Magazine. I saved it, but neglected to document who wrote it. I believe it was Phillip Allred. I loved the story then and still love it now so I wanted to share it with you. I hope it will touch you as well.

“As a Hen Gathereth Her Chickens Under Her Wings”

"A few years ago, a colleague of mine at Idaho State University related one of his student’s experiences that help illustrate this mother hen symbolism. The student, a young man, had been helping inspect some fire damage just outside of town from a recent blaze. As he and the other volunteers were assisting one of the inspectors, they noticed several smoldering mounds across the scorched earth. Intrigued, he asked the inspector what these were. The inspector replied that he should kick one of the piles. He did. To his great surprise several baby chicks ran out from under the upturned mound.

He was fascinated. How ingenious he thought, these little chicks had known to run underneath this refuge. The young man asked the inspector how the chicks knew about this natural shelter. To his amazement, the inspector replied that they were not natural at all; instead this smoldering heap was none other than the remains of their mother. The inspector continued to explain that when a fire breaks out the mother hen calls out to her young ones and stretches out her arm so that they can run inside to her protective embrace.
How fitting that the Lord would personify the mother hen in His words to the Nephites and Lamanites. How perfect is this example for us today! 'Oh ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather ye as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.' For it is through His embrace we may be protected and through His death that we may be saved."

9 comments:

Emma T said...

Oh, that so touched me! I have read those scriptures-the verses where that phrase is used--many times, but I don't think I really understood them until now. Thanks so much for sharing the story with me.

Rebecca Irvine said...

That is one of my favorite verses from Isaiah. The symbolism is beautiful, as is this story.

Momza said...

Well this made me tear up. For the hen and for the Lord. I never knew what the analogy meant until now.
I hope I never forget it.

Dave and Camille said...

How interesting... I was just thinking of this story a few days ago and trying to remember it from when you shared it with us in high school. Thank you so much for posting it! Love you :)

Shannon said...

Hi-
My name is Shannon. As far as I know, you don't know me, but I'm a long-time friend of Nature Girl. She had a link to your blog on hers today and I decided to check it out. I'm so glad I did, and I think I will again (if you don't mind) anytime I'm having a bad day. You've created such a nice reminder of what each day is all about. I really enjoyed it. It's fun to see some of your pictures. My family and I moved from Mesa to Provo (I've made that exact same drive you mentioned dozens of times myself!) in June. And, while we love it here, it's fun to see some familiar looking landscapes. Thanks again for such a nice addition to my day!

Unknown said...

sorry to tell you i dont know the beals..
i have lived in arizona exactly 2 months and 17 days,
so i really don't know anyone in arizona except my son and daughte in law grand kids and my sons in laws.. but i hope to make some friends. soon..
thanks for stopping by my blog.

alpinekleins said...

Hello there, I so appreciate reading all your wonderful posts. This was especially insightful and gives new meaning to the scripture. Thanks for sharing!

Kristin

Shannon said...

How fun to have a blog friend! Thanks for your comment. Have a wonderful day!

Emilee said...

Lori, I love that!

Very inspiring.