Crazy Charlie

Charlie, to be honest, was always a yolk short of being an egg! He got his start as sort of project. At the time, my daughter Christa worked in a home for Developmentally Disabled adults and decided to take an egg from one of our hens to incubate. They all watched in amazement as the egg slowly hatched and out popped Charlie! He was cute and cuddly for awhile, but Charlie soon turned into an unruly rooster and was brought back to us to live with his own kind. The only problem was Charlie didn’t fit in. He was always mad and would flog anything that didn’t run from him. I once seen him flog a sponge that we were using to wash the car, the concrete duck frequently was the object of his wrath, not to mention anyone who dared to turn their back on him. After awhile his name was changed to “Crazy Charlie” which fit perfectly. Crazy Charlie didn’t go by rules, Charlie assumed that he knew best and wouldn’t go in at night with the rest of the chickens. I would often find him huddled in the dark and would have to pick him up and put him in the coop with the others. Charlie thought he knew best but what Charlie didn’t see was the danger that lingers in the dark. You see, coyotes roam around here looking for such prideful chickens as our Crazy Charlie. One night I forgot to put him away as was our nightly ritual. I was relieved to hear him crow before dawn that morning. Charlie had his own timing, so he would always crow before daylight just to let the world know he was up and was still mad. I went back to sleep, glad that Charlie had made it through another night. Evidently a hungry coyote heard Charlie crowing and took that prideful crow as a call to supper. Poor Charlie was never to crow again. I wish I could have warned Charlie of the dangers out there, if I could get it through to this “dumb cluck” that I was only thinking about his good. Since I didn’t speak chicken I was helpless. If only I could become a chicken for just a minute I could explain to this hard headed “bird brain” how to keep himself from becoming dinner for some hungry coyote. But Charlie thought he knew best.

I think we all have a little Charlie in us. We strut around in our own pride, in our own strength daring anyone to tell us that there is another way. We crouch in our own darkness becoming a ‘sitting duck” for the enemy. The Bible says the devil roams around like a hungry lion searching for whom he can devour. What better prey than someone who tries to do everything on their own and sit in the darkness of their own pride. Jesus became man so he could talk with us. He wanted us to know that we didn’t have to do everything in our own strength. We don’t have to be in the darkness but He said “I am the light” He came so that none of us would perish but have life eternal. He loved us so much , even us “dumb clucks” that he came to be one of us so he could warn us of the devils plans and bringing us into the new light of His salvation. Thank God He didn’t give up on this “chick”.

Poor Crazy Charlie, I will never hear a rooster crow that I won’t think of him and tell the tale of this angry, tough old rooster who knew it all, who wanted his own way and paid a dear price. May the Charlie in all of us rest in peace!