Proverbs 31: 27 She
watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31: 27.
Do you remember the children’s story, “The Little Red Hen”?
There was this little red hen who came upon some
grains of wheat. She asked all of the
farm animals to help her plant the wheat.
Each one said, “No. Not I.” So
she planted the wheat all by herself.
The little red hen asked for help weeding the green
stalks when they came up. She asked for
help plucking the wheat, threshing the wheat.
She asked for help taking the wheat the mill. She asked for help baking the ground wheat
flour. Each time the other farm
creatures replied, “No. Not I.” So, she did all of the work herself.
Finally, the little red hen emerged from her kitchen
with a warm, freshly baked loaf of bread.
(The picture books always showed a loaf that was bigger than the hen
carrying it.) She asked if there was
anyone to help her eat the bread, and every animal on the farm stood up and
shouted, “I will.”
“No, you won’t,” replied the little red hen. “I will eat it myself, just me and my little chicks.” And that is exactly what they did.
The animals on the farm wanted to eat without
working. They wanted the enjoy the bread of idleness.
Sometimes people fail because they won’t sacrifice
some thing: some destructive
relationship, some self-destructive habit, some token of security that keeps
them from advancing .
But other times---- most of the time--- people fail
to succeed because they won’t sacrifice their nothings. They won’t give up the time they spend doing
nothing. They won’t give up the time
they spend reading nothing. They won’t
give up the time they spend learning nothing.
They won’t give up the time they spend not practicing, not calling, not emailing,
not pursuing opportunities, not exercising their gifts.
It’s possible to miss your chance because you were
doing the wrong thing, but it’s more common to miss your chance because you
were doing NO THING.
And there are some people, including some women, who
actually expect to have everything they’ve dreamed of while holding on to their
nothings. They expect to eat the bread of idleness.
Bro, you don’t need a woman like that. You need
a woman who will plant, and weed, and pluck, and grind away while all of her
friends are waiting for Prince Baller to ride through and drop a loaf of bread
on their nightstands.
The little red hen you’re looking for may or may not
work outside the home. But she does
work. She sacrifices idle time to make
sure that the children are taken care of.
She sacrifices do-nothing time to learn how to take better care of the
house. She gives up the many nothings
she could do, and she does everything possible to make her family more and more
successful.
But them other chicks……..?
If you run across one of those women who wants to do
nothing outside the home, and do nothing from home, and do nothing in the home,
but she expects you to give her everything she wants------ then you answer, “No. Not I.”
---Anderson
T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer and
consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth
Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership
development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about
the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme.blogspot.com .
If this message helps or touches you, please help
support this ministry. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
