I was eight or nine. The fresh green aroma of hay filled the barn as I stood peering into a wooden nesting box beneath a glowing heat lamp. Growing up in Vermont, I had many opportunities to spend with farm animals. This was my first time witnessing the wonder of a baby chick hatching.<\/p>\n
I still go through the same emotions as I did when I was a young girl, thinking about this miraculous event. First, there\u2019s anticipation<\/strong>. The tiny beak within pecks at the shell. It makes such a tiny crack. It seems to take forever. The chick pecks then rests, regrouping to peck again. The crack widens.<\/p>\n Then, <\/span>amazement<\/strong>. The chicken finally emerges from the egg. So much effort to start its new little life!<\/span><\/p>\n Next, a bit of <\/span>disappointment<\/strong>. The newborn chick is not what I expect. Wet feathers stick to bare, pink flesh. Dark patches encircle closed eyes. It collapses at an awkward angle, and I worry.<\/span><\/p>\n Now, <\/span>joy<\/strong>. It moves! It\u2019s alive! It lifts its head. Soon the chick is standing, the feathers are drying. There is hope in this new life, and the beauty ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n We may go through the same emotions in our relationship with the Lord:<\/span><\/p>\n Anticipation\u2013what is ahead? Will our path be rocky or smooth? How will He work in our life? <\/p>\n Amazement\u2013He is there for us! He brings things together in powerful ways! Our prayers are answered!<\/p>\n Disappointment\u2014what\u2019s going on? This isn\u2019t what I wanted. Life is difficult.<\/p>\n Joy\u2014in everything, there is hope. In the good and the bad, there is God. We can do all things, because of Him.<\/p>\n Every Easter when I see a newborn chick (or bunny, or lamb), I still get the same feelings of awe and joy. This is a brand new life, a miracle of God\u2019s creation!<\/p>\n And through this mushy, heart-melting love of springtime baby animals, I am reminded of the promise of new life through Him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was eight or nine. The fresh green aroma of hay filled the barn as I stood peering into a wooden nesting box beneath a glowing heat lamp. Growing up in Vermont, I had many opportunities to spend with farm animals. This was my first time witnessing the wonder of a baby chick hatching. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":28714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[191],"tags":[71,80],"ppma_author":[517],"class_list":["post-20085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","tag-easter","tag-stories-of-hope"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n