Procrastination Trouble

One of my daily chores was to gather the eggs everyday after school. I learned early on not to procrastinate and wait until after dark—hen houses are very, very spooky after dark!!! On one particular evening I conveniently “forgot” to make my trip out to the hen house! I can still remember mom asking, “Did you gather the eggs today?” I still haven’t figured out how, but moms just have this built-in antenna that picks up on our words, actions, expressions, etc. Well, she took one look at me and knew that I had not done my chores. I remember saying, “but, Mom, it’s dark out!” And I also remember dad saying, “get the flashlight and go get the eggs.”

Reluctantly, I went out alone into the deep, dark night with my flashlight lighting the path ahead of me. Slowly walking across the yard and driveway over to the chicken coop - flashlight in one hand and egg bucket in the other. I was wishing all the way out to the chicken coop that I had done my chores when I came home from school. Instead, I had put it off and now the sun had set and the shadowy moon shown through the chicken coop windows casting eerie shadows on the floor and walls of the hen house making my task all the more dreadful.

In the dark coop the chickens lined their roost making their “chicken night- noises” with all eyes on me – the intruder!  I proceeded quietly, tip-toeing and talking softly to comfort the chickens . . . and myself too! I didn’t want to scare them and get them all flying off their roost in every direction attacking and flogging me! Who knows what they would do if scared.

Approaching the row of nests along the far wall, I was reaching into the nests one by one with one hand holding the egg bucket and flashlight and the other hand bringing out one, two, three eggs putting them in the bucket then moving to the next nest. All the time keeping one eye on the rooster of this brood of chickens behind me.

On I went collecting egg after egg when it suddenly happened. While looking over my shoulder, covering my back from the roosting chickens and at the same time hurriedly reaching into yet another nest, the dreaded moment came. Payback for my procrastination!

As quick as I put my hand in the next nest an old sitting hen flew out of the nest. She was coming right up my arm and into my face flogging me but good!!! Dropping the bucket of eggs and flashlight, I ran screaming from the hen house only to run smack dab into dad who was, un-be-known to me, standing just outside of the hen house. I wasn’t alone after all! Whew!! He had followed me out there since it was so dark. Calming me down, he went back into the hen house, collected the rest of the eggs, bucket, and flashlight while I waited outside where the full moon shone brightly all around me.

Dad and I walked to the house with the flashlight shining on our path ahead and the moon beaming over our shoulders. As we carried the bucket of eggs with broken egg dripping from it, Dad said, “This is why it is best to not wait until dark to do our chores.” I agreed wholeheartedly!

Back in the house, mom and I sorted out the good eggs from the broken ones, washed the broken egg off of them, and put them in the refrigerator while dad sat down to read the newspaper.

Lessons learned: Some things just can’t wait. Do what needs to be done at the right time. Timing is everything! It is a whole lot easier and takes less time in the long run. Some times life takes us to places we don’t want to go or through things we don’t want to go through. But just remember you are never alone. God is always with you – trust Him to get you through.