“If
any man thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but
deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James
1:25).
I was
truly blessed to be accepted and trusted by the Amish farmers and had many
friends among farmers that I serviced.
One day, when I arrived at the Deacon Amos Zook Farm, I found a very irate
Amos. He was very quick to tell me there was a blasphemous situation that
was taking place in his home Church Body. It seems one of his
parishioners was using electric lights to motivate his hens to lay more eggs
and electricity was one of those modern conveniences that was a ‘no – no’- in
old line Mennonite and Amish homes and farms.
Although the members of Amos’s Church did not have telephones, it did not take
it long to spread the dastardly act of rebellion throughout the whole
community: the gossip wheels began to turn. But, after a brief
investigation, it was learned that Brother Sam’s indiscretion was the result of
a misunderstanding of what Deacon Amos had suggested that Brother Sam do to
motivate his chickens.
It seems Brother Sam’s hens were just not motivated to lay eggs in the number
that he expected, so, he sought the advice of the deacon who suggested Sam try
the vitamin and electrolyte mixture that the local feed store had in
stock. This he did. Now I was not privy to whether the hens did indeed
lay more eggs, but I was made privy to the fact that there would be a meeting
of the Sanhedrin that very day to address the electrolyte issue.
It then dawned on the Deacon that he may have been the seed planter of this
dastardly deed when he suggested that Sam purchase the vitamin and electrolyte
mixture which the young chicken farmer took to mean “electric light”. The
mystery was soon solved, the young man corrected the error of his ways and
peace was restored to the community.
Unfortunately, not all gossip can be laid to rest with so much relief and touch
of humor. By simply pulling of the plug, brought Brother Sam back into
fellowship with Deacon Zook and his brothers. I believe that
is what James was talking about when he wrote, “…yet he who does not bridle
his tongue, deceives his own heart”. Notice he does not
stop there but went on to give warn “the gossipers religion is worthless”.
So, my young buckaroos, if you have a season when your chickens are
not laying and you lack wisdom as to what to do, don’t seek out Deacon Zook,
but rather seek wisdom from the One who stills the waters and has an abundance
of wisdom about chickens, having created them. And “let him ask of God
who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him” (James
1:5). Oh, by the way, this is also the recommended problem -solving route
when you hit the clinkers in the road!
Blessings,
Gramps
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