I spent the day with my wayward only child yesterday, butchering 42 chickens by hand, and being reminded of how much he has turned away from the things I tried to teach him and hoped he would embrace. That is very depressing, and I felt it this morning, feeling pretty empty and like my life has been futile, and having a deep desire to invest my remaining years in something that will count for eternity. Also, agonizing over my son and the seriousness of choosing to turn one’s back on God. Hoping something will happen to turn him around. Praying someone will cross his path who will make an impression on him for the good.
Also, knowing Bible prophecy and seeing what’s happening, I realize the time may be short. I long for the day when there will be peace, justice, righteousness, and truth on earth, with Messiah reigning from Jerusalem, but I fear for those I care about who aren’t ready for the culmination of the age.
As a former wayward child and father of the same, I will say that the time you spend and the prayers you send, can and do make a difference, even when we don't feel like they do.
Also, 42 chickens is an impressive amount of work. I hope you have one of those spinning devices with the rubber fingers for the feathers. It's a wonderful invention.
I don't mean to make light of the deep concern you shared. In my field of work, you learn it is sometimes a laugh or cry kind of world we live in. Thank you for your comment. God sees you and hears you.
We hadn’t butchered a whole batch of chickens in quite a few years. I’ve been doing a few here and there. It is all hand plucking. (I’m off-grid, so a plucker wouldn’t help. ;) It was a very long day. From start to finish, it was almost 12 hours, not counting set up or driving the finished chickens an hour north to put in a freezer. My hand cramped up a couple times, where I couldn’t move my fingers where I wanted to because they were twisted in a cramp. I had to do something different for a few minutes to get the cramp to release. Amazingly, I had no after-effects the day after, except being pretty tired, but son’s back was killing him yesterday. He did the eviscerating and the table was low. Both our backs ached the day of, but I think he was bending over even more than I was, doing the plucking.
It was a bitter sweet day. It was very nice to spend a whole day with him - to get him to myself all day long - but a lot of the conversations were hard and hurtful.
My son is not out doing bizarre things. He’s responsible, not marking up his body with graffiti, not doing drugs and doesn’t even drink alcohol, has a good job, pays his bills, etc., but he has eliminated God and the Bible from his life/worldview. Interestingly, the person he would consider his best friend (a man my age) does believe in God.
1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
Fight on brother. There are more than you know who a praying.
I truly felt it! This resonate very well with me. I so feel the same.
I spent the day with my wayward only child yesterday, butchering 42 chickens by hand, and being reminded of how much he has turned away from the things I tried to teach him and hoped he would embrace. That is very depressing, and I felt it this morning, feeling pretty empty and like my life has been futile, and having a deep desire to invest my remaining years in something that will count for eternity. Also, agonizing over my son and the seriousness of choosing to turn one’s back on God. Hoping something will happen to turn him around. Praying someone will cross his path who will make an impression on him for the good.
Also, knowing Bible prophecy and seeing what’s happening, I realize the time may be short. I long for the day when there will be peace, justice, righteousness, and truth on earth, with Messiah reigning from Jerusalem, but I fear for those I care about who aren’t ready for the culmination of the age.
As a former wayward child and father of the same, I will say that the time you spend and the prayers you send, can and do make a difference, even when we don't feel like they do.
Also, 42 chickens is an impressive amount of work. I hope you have one of those spinning devices with the rubber fingers for the feathers. It's a wonderful invention.
I don't mean to make light of the deep concern you shared. In my field of work, you learn it is sometimes a laugh or cry kind of world we live in. Thank you for your comment. God sees you and hears you.
We hadn’t butchered a whole batch of chickens in quite a few years. I’ve been doing a few here and there. It is all hand plucking. (I’m off-grid, so a plucker wouldn’t help. ;) It was a very long day. From start to finish, it was almost 12 hours, not counting set up or driving the finished chickens an hour north to put in a freezer. My hand cramped up a couple times, where I couldn’t move my fingers where I wanted to because they were twisted in a cramp. I had to do something different for a few minutes to get the cramp to release. Amazingly, I had no after-effects the day after, except being pretty tired, but son’s back was killing him yesterday. He did the eviscerating and the table was low. Both our backs ached the day of, but I think he was bending over even more than I was, doing the plucking.
It was a bitter sweet day. It was very nice to spend a whole day with him - to get him to myself all day long - but a lot of the conversations were hard and hurtful.
My son is not out doing bizarre things. He’s responsible, not marking up his body with graffiti, not doing drugs and doesn’t even drink alcohol, has a good job, pays his bills, etc., but he has eliminated God and the Bible from his life/worldview. Interestingly, the person he would consider his best friend (a man my age) does believe in God.
Thank you for the encouragement.