Rosie the Chicken

by Marion peppers

“Oooh!” Liana squealed at the sight of her new baby chicks. Her big brother, Levi, was right behind her, clapping in delight. Another long winter had come to an end, and spring had finally arrived! How exciting it was to kick off the warmer weather with six new chickens! Levi and Liana helped their parents set up a cozy home for them. They gave them fresh water and food. They gave them lots of attention every day. And each chick got its own special name. 

Very quickly a favorite chicken emerged from all the others. As they quickly grew in size and into their own personalities, Rosie was different from all the others! Everywhere Levi and Liana went in the yard, Rosie would follow, clucking happily. Eventually all the chickens got big enough to move into their outside coop. Before long all of the other chickens knew that Rosie was in charge! She always got the biggest worms to eat. She got the best places to sleep. She told all the other chickens what to do. And she knew how to put up a fight anytime a predator came along. She was tough. But sadly, she had no friends, for no one wants to be friends with a grumpy chicken!

Over time other chickens came and went, but always there was Rosie, still very much in charge. Every time a new chicken moved into the coop, she pecked them on the heads to let them know that she was boss. When her human friends were around, she was sweet and kind, putting on the best of shows. But when they weren’t looking, she chased the other chickens, stole their food, or bopped them on the head! 

One winter Rosie ended up being in the coop by herself. It was too cold for new baby chicks, but she would be fine in her enclosure. Her human friends made sure she had extra warmth in her coop, and lots of fresh water and food. They spent as much time with her as possible.

Finally, winter ended again, and it was time for a whole new batch of baby chicks. Levi and Liana started the process of raising their new babies and taking good care of them. They were so excited for the day that they could put them in the coop with Rosie so that she would no longer be lonely. The day came. They carefully placed the chickens in the coop. Rosie looked at them with wide eyes and then . . . bop, bop, bop! She quickly pecked each one on their heads as hard as she could and then went back to sleep on her perch as if nothing had happened. Rosie had not learned the important lesson of kindness to others. 

The sad thing was that Rosie thought she had her human friends fooled. She thought they believed she was always sweet and kind, like she was to them. But people are much smarter than chickens. They knew and saw every unkind thing that Rosie did, and it made them sad. They would go behind her and give the other chickens extra pets and treats so they felt loved. They gave Rosie chance and after chance to be nice, for they knew that if she could care about the other chickens the way she cared about herself, she might make some friends and not be so alone. But Rosie never did learn her lesson.

It reminds me how God must feel about us. So many times we think we have God fooled. We go to church and smile and say and do all the right things. But often when we go home, we yell at our siblings and are disrespectful to our parents. We act much like a grumpy old chicken. God wants what’s best for us. He wants us to follow His ways and to show kindness to others, because it’s what will make us truly happy, too. 

And you know what else? Even though Rosie wasn’t very nice, her humans still loved her and cared for her more than she could possibly know. That must be how God feels about us, too. Nothing you could ever say or do could make God love you any more or any less than He already does. You are His special creation. I hope you listen to His voice and allow Him to show you the best and happiest way to live today and every day!

Marion Peppers lives in Tennessee with her husband and two children. They love to travel the world together sharing Jesus’ love with others.