Y'all know by now I have no secrets and even less shame. I tell my stuff first so if anyone else ever writes about my mess, my version should be the one you believe.
My children are by now mostly shamed into letting me run with it, so thats a good thing.
They can use all my stories to publish a book and enjoy icecream from the profits.
Okay, so I just saw a video of my favorite FB kids playing in a rabbit hutch and the chicken pen which fired up my memory of a moment in time of my own childhood holding a church revivel in our chicken house.
" What, revival in the chicken house" ?
Stay with me as I lay it out for your mental visual.
Our chicken house had a roost built with wooden slats for the chickens to roost on at night. The house was about 10x12 ft. with a slightly slanted roof so as to allow the rain and dew to drain away. Under the roof all the way around the house was an opening to allow ventilation. The ft. wide opening was screened to keep out chicken theives, i.e., fox, coons, possums, hawks or whatever wanted to sneak inside at night to eat a chicken for supper.
The door was sturdy made with heavy duty screen wire and had a latch made using a wooden catch to slip into a wooden cuff for keeping the gate door firmly closed at night. Animals couldn't work the latch, but Daddy made sure we all checked to make sure the latch was in place after the chickens went to roost at dusk dark.
I can still hear the all important question every night just as I was near falling into blissful sleep,
" Earline did you latch the chicken house"?
Thinking while eye rolling, "Latch the chicken house"?
" Buddy, did you fill the water bucket"?
Dang it!
Mumbling as we went outside to draw water and latch the chicken house gatedoor.
" Daddy always waits until we get settled just to cause us to come out in the dark".
" Yeah, and he knows you can't latch a chicken house, it's the gate".
"Daddy is so back'ards sometimes".
"You better not let him hear that, he'll show you back'ards".
So now the infernal chickens were safe and secure from harm, the water bucket was filled and our beds were slammed into as the covers were flung around.
Lawdhammercy!
Morning brought the hated assignment of cleaning out the chicken house of piled up droppings.
Daddy and Mama always had long rows of collards growing in the garden almost year round.
Smith family ate fall/winter collards all fall/winter and spring/summer collards all spring/summer.
Collards grown in chicken manure are some prize collards.
Today was for fertilizing collards and lowering the piles of chicken dodo under the roost.
" I want to see that chicken house all cleaned out when I get in this evening".
The day was humid and smelly.
We shoveled and complained and wheel barrowed the chicken manure out to the collard patch to again shovel the stinking stuff to spread around the stalks of prize food sources for Smiths.
You may have heard about how bad collards smell while cooking, it's because they grow in chicken stuff.
Has to be the reason.........
Finally, we had the floor of the chicken house all neat and tidy. I even raked it to allow Daddy a moment of joy.
We had a spell to kill so I decided to have church.
I got Buddy and my little sisters to sit on the roost while I preached a loud sermon.
As usual in my churching, I opened the service with my favorite song, " I Saw The Light".
I felt Hanks energy.
My congregation sat mumbling and squirming while I brought Jesus to that chicken house revival.
Y'all, I always loved to bring Jesus to my services.
That hot afternoon in the chicken house revival was just too much for Jesus, because after just a short time my congregation started clamouring down off the roost to get outside for some fresh air.
Until this day I can feel the energy in that chicken house revival.
How can we not remember the verse Matthew 18:20, For where two or three gather in my name there I am with them.
Mama didn't like my efforts at mocking church doings, but maybe Jesus really was there.
I meant no harm and we all got a blessing.
At least I did.
The chicken house was clean, the collards got a fertlizing, Hank got honored and the gospel got shared.
