Lord, Save the Turkeys

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." Luke 13:34

Summertime ushers in the season in which we raise our poultry for meat. In one day, I received my shipment of 50 chicks and 15 turkey poults. I immediately put the turkeys into the outdoor pen complete with heat lamp, hut for shelter, waterer, and food dish full of grain. They were delighted and strutted about pecking at blades of grass and making joyous, squeaky peeps. Shortly thereafter a storm blew very suddenly into our area. Within minutes after the torrents of rain and wind drove us inside, my daughter ran to me with tears in her eyes: "Mom!" she cried, "The turkeys are DYING!"

"What?!" I yelled, leaping from my seat. I gathered my skirts and ran outside to the turkey pen. Each and every one of the 15 turkeys was laying motionless and and soaked to the skin in the grass. Not one of the turkeys took the initiative to seek shelter from the storm and all were in various stages of dying. One turkey was most assuredly dead as it was laying face down in the waterer. The other ones I gathered into my shirt and carried into the house. My son brought in the heat lamp and my daughter brought the hair dryer, and we all set to the task of trying to save the turkeys.

After an hour or maybe two, all of the turkeys were to the point in which their eyes were open and began to peep again. We laid them under the heat lamp and left them to recover. For those of you who don't know poultry, the fact that we were able to save ANY turkeys is a miracle. Turkeys, especially, are very sensitive and die easily. Each and every one of the turkeys that we brought into the house recovered.

Now, I've learned that turkeys have no sense and need constant shelter. What the Lord pointed out to me is that many people are like turkeys and don't have enough sense to come in out of the rain enough to save themselves. What I mean is this: our Lord has offered Himself as a refuge and a hiding place for those who will indeed seek the shelter of His wings. His presence is not a safe place for those who are rebellious, but only for those who truly love Him and trust Him and honor Him in what they do. People, come under the shelter of the Most High and He will protect you from the storms of life. Storms will indeed happen, but they needn't get the best of us. Psalm 91:1-3 says ' Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.'


May I not be too stupid to see the outstretched wings of our Lord offering a refuge from life's storm. This world is a dangerous place--may we not be so naive as to think that we can save ourselves.

Therefore strong peoples will honor you;
cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall
and like the heat of the desert.
You silence the uproar of foreigners;
as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is stilled. (Isaiah 25:3-5)