Common Bonds

At the end of June my husband arrived home from work with a duck and two baby chickens. Over the winter my two, old hens had died so my chicken coop was barren. Barry thought a duck would be fun and the friend he got the duck from thought we'd like a couple of chicks too. 

"Mama" and her babies

We learned quickly that duck thought itself mama to these two little chicks. When separated the duck went crazy. When the chicks got bigger and learned that they could fly over the coop and into my garden the duck would quack from her side, reprimanding her young-ins' (she hasn't figured out that she can fly). This bond between duck and chickens has been even more apparent this week. 

On Sunday I acquired five older hens. I knew that sometimes chickens feathers could be ruffled a bit when introduced to new "friends" but I figured they would work it all out. At first I noticed two of the new chickens being aggressive to my two but mama duck was making sure to protect her babies. She would squawk and nibble on the backs of the offenders. Today, however, it was her babies protecting her. 

I went back to talk to my girls and noticed "Goldie" standing tall and defiant in front of her duck mama. On closer inspection I saw that duck had a line of feathers missing and in it's place was raw skin. Goldie's sis was standing behind duck mama and was also ready to defend her mama. 

For her safety, I decided to separate mama duck from the chickens but an hour later as I was working in the kitchen I could hear her crying for her "babies" (her babies are now just over three months old and are full grown). Hubs and I rigged up a temporary coop in the garage for mama duck and her two girls. A little while later I grabbed my camera and went out to check on them. I've never seen chickens snuggle quite like this, let alone chickens AND a duck snuggling together. Kind of sweet. 

These three are bonded together and this bond amazes me and warms my heart. 

I'm reminded of the bond that I have with fellow believers. I've met many women through online bible studies and in a community of bloggers and although we've never met in real life, I somehow feel a bond towards them. Some have shared their hearts so openly that I feel as if I know them and through the shared love of Christ they are my sisters. Sisters in Christ sharing the love of Christ. Now that my friend continues to amaze me and warm my heart. 

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the church (the world wide community of believers) as each member representing a part of the body. Each member, each part, having their own unique gifts that contribute to the whole. 

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. 

 Paul continues with this:

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

Today I am thankful for the body of Christ. I am thankful for the bond that is created by being part of the family of God. Thank you, God, for sisters around the globe. They may not be available to defend me in quite the same way that my chickens defended their duck mama but they strengthen me with their love and prayers. 

My five new girls roosting on the fence that is suppose to keep them in the coop/chicken run area.