Testimony of Healing July 8, 1972 Issue

During the past year the neighbor's chickens bothered me considerably...

Florence Young

During the past year the neighbor's chickens bothered me considerably, scratching up the wild plants near the mountain cottage and crowing under my window at daybreak. I prayed for quite a while. I prayed every self-righteous, self-justifiable prayer I could think of, but without success. Several times I asked the family in a kind way to fence in the chickens, but still the chickens were free. So I went to the magistrate's office and requested that an official come and ask the people to restrain their chickens. This happened three times. The magistrate stated that if it was necessary for me to come again he would request that I sign a warrant, and then the person would either comply or be fined. I could not bring myself to do this, so I prayed some more.

Then one day the daughter came over to tell me that her brother, who owned the chickens, needed urgently to go to the city thirty miles away. I assured her I would be happy to take him. At first he declined my offer. Then, after I sent word to him several times, he decided to let me take him. When we reached the city, it appeared the person he needed to see was thirty miles in a different direction. So we went there.

As we drove along, I was praying very earnestly that God give me an understanding heart about the chicken situation. Suddenly, as a great light, I realized with compassion my neighbor's need for the chickens. They were something for him to love as I loved and cherished the wild birds. Silently I prayed that he forgive me and that God forgive me for the hard thoughts of annoyance I had harbored against him.

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