The One-Year “Don’t Be Such a Chicken” Challenge
Why is this called the “Don’t be such a chicken” challenge? Well, for one thing, I think the word ‘chicken’ is funny. And “chicken challenge” has a nice ring to it. And for another, it just seems to fit. Because this challenge is about doing things that we are afraid of: praying the prayers we are afraid to pray, facing the things inside of ourselves that we are afraid to face, and asking ourselves and God the hard questions. It might take a little guts to do this, but “Don’t be such a chicken.” You can do it! And you’ll be better for it!
It’s also about doing some challenges and tasks that we might not normally think of (and others that we might already do). Chickens are content to just scratch around in the dirt and never really consider how they might better their barnyard life. They just peck and scratch, scratch and peck. But this challenge is about doing things to better our lives, our walk with God, and our relationship with others, instead of just running around the barnyard, looking for the next bug. Don’t be such a chicken!
And it also includes counting our blessings. Have you ever seen a really thankful chicken? Cats show how thankful they are by purring on your lap or brushing up against your leg. Dogs are deliriously thankful, even when all you do is smile at them and pat their head. But chickens? Did you ever see a chicken run up and throw their little chicken wings around the neck of the person who just threw some chicken feed at them, affectionately pecking them on the cheek in gratitude? Don’t be such a chicken! This year we are going to be deliberate about counting our blessings, about looking high and low for things we are thankful for.
