Advent Short Story 2
“The Pecking Order”
Willy-John McMurray was a tall, well-made, amply thatched farmer who taught me a lesson on humility – he was Granda McMurray to me.
“Let’s go and feed the chickens and I’ll show ye something,” he said as he led me outside his scullery and into the cobbled farmyard in the shadow of the cluster of corrugated roofed outbuildings.
He picked up a well-bashed metal bucket and half filled it with ‘hen-meal’ and said ‘Watch this.’
Granda began making clucking noises and calling ‘here chucky, chucky.’
About a dozen brown hens emerged from nowhere.
He ‘sowed’ the meal across the dirt in the farmyard and the hens shuffled and shoved, fought and squawked in their efforts to get in pole position for their meal.
It wasn’t long before the kafuffle quietened, and the bolder hens pecked their fill as the timid, less gregarious sisters loitered in the background.
‘That’s the way of the world,’ Granda McMurray explained, ‘they have worked out a ‘pecking order.’ From the most dominant, right down to the last one, a clear pecking order was established.
Granda added, ‘Wherever you go lad and whatever you do you will see people working out a pecking order. When they stand around small talking you’ll hear them asking questions or telling stories. They’re working out a pecking order until some big shot is the top hen and someone who can’t afford cuff links is at the bottom of the pile.’ I understood what he meant as he delivered the ‘lesson;’
‘Our Lord was the only one worthy in the history of this world to be at the top of the pecking order. Jesus was in his heavenly place, but on the very first Christmas, he humbled himself to become one of us – baby Jesus. He took the low place for you.’ Philippians 2:7 says ‘he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.’
He turned that whole ‘Pecking Order’ thing on its head by saying we must become like servants to others (Mark 10:44). He also said, ‘The first must be last’ and in John’s gospel he took a towel and a bowl of water and went around his twelve disciples and washed their feet (see John 13).’
Granda put his well-calloused hand on my head and ruffled my blonde hair as we walked back to the scullery; ‘When you get older, he said, remember to take the low place. Think of others before yourself. Humble people give the glory to God.’
It was an advent message and a practical lesson on humility that became a personal rule of life.
Till the next time – God Bless You
Advent 'Make me Ready' Prayer
Lord make me ready to hear, ready to see, ready to receive your gift of love, that's Jesus.
Make me ready to do, ready to go, ready for all you're making ready for me. Amen
©Jenny Dann
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.
Stuart Townend & Keith Getty Copyright © 2001 Thankyou Music
