My Neighbor’s Chickens

At the year’s beginning, I had resolved to read the Old Testament all the way through. It was proving hard going, however. April was here, and I was still plowing my way through Exodus. What could I learn from all those pages of Mosaic law?

During that spring season, I was also spending time in my garden. Gardening is a social event on our road, with neighbors working side by side and swapping tips, cuttings, and seeds across fences. But since the time my husband and the man next door had disagreed about where the boundary lay between our gardens, angry words were the only things exchanged over our fence.

Just yesterday, my neighbor, Marian, had been sowing rows of seeds a few feet from where I worked, but we had labored in silence. She had rejected my friendly overtures for months now, and I was struggling to love my neighbor. Memories of accusations and harassment stung.

Working in my garden today, I was relieved that there was no sign of Marian or Jim, her husband. I could savor the smell of newly dug, damp earth and enjoy the sounds of an English spring with none of the tension I felt when my neighbors were nearby.

Suddenly, movement from their side of the fence caught my eye. Standing upright, I saw that a dozen of Marian’s hens had escaped from their run and were methodically scratching and pecking their way toward her rows of newly sown seeds. I knew the hungry fowl would make short work of Marian’s neat lines.

As I stood and watched the feathered horde advance, I thought of all the insults hurled at me by Marian and Jim. I must confess I felt a fleeting pleasure at the sight before me—but I quickly dismissed this feeling and instead wondered if I should go tell Marian of the hens’ escape. In light of her hostility, I felt fearful of approaching her. After all, I reasoned, she wouldn’t do the same for me.

As the hens neared the vegetable garden, a question formed in my mind: What would Jesus do? Now I knew I had to tell Marian. I walked up the yard toward my neighbor’s house and rapped on her door. My heart pounded.

Looking startled to see me, Marian heard my message, thanked me, and then pulled on rubber boots and ran down to her garden. I went back to my digging filled with relief and pleasure.

After lunch, I sat down and opened my Bible to the bookmark at Exodus 23. As I read verse 4, the Old Testament spoke directly to me: “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.”

That day marked a turning point for me. Not only did I gain the courage to treat my unfriendly neighbor with love—an effort that did eventually bear fruit—but my testimony of the significance of all scripture became stronger. I learned that in the scriptures I could find gems of inspiration and revelation that applied very much to me.