The Little Red Hen

Are You Like The Little Red Hen?

Remember the story of The Little Red Hen? In the story she has big plans of baking bread and asks everyone to help her. Instead, everyone has some excuse for why they can’t pitch in.

I was thinking one day about this story and I thought how different I was from her. My children are often very eager to help me out, but their childish or imperfect ways of doing the tasks often prevent me from accepting their help.

I’m a structured person. Okay, I’m a little obsessive compulsive person when it comes to my home. I get hung up on perfection and would sometimes rather turn their kindness away (and even risk hurting their feelings) then accept their help and have an "imperfect" job.

I think there is something awesome about the Little Red Hen. She is willing to share the work and the reward. I think she is like God. The Little Red Hen was perfectly capable of baking the bread all by herself. She didn’t really require the help, she just wanted it. She wanted the company and someone to share the work and reward with.

God is that way too. He doesn’t have to use us to accomplish his work, but He chooses to. He even had the tendency to use the messiest most imperfect people to do His work. He chose a man who stuttered to free His people, a teenager to carry his Son, a prostitute to protect His army, and unschooled, ordinary me to preach the Gospel to nations. He wasn’t frightened by their imperfection. Instead, He used them in spite of themselves.

In Hebrews 11:38, and really that entire chapter, the author addresses the unlikely people that God chose to do extraordinary things. In verse 38 though, it says

“They were too good for this world . . .”

Are you seeing your children through God’s eyes? He knows those tiny messy hands can hold enormous blessings just for you. Don’t cut them short because they might not do it just right. Share the work and share the reward. They are the special helpers that God has sent you.

We are blessed that God shares the reward of heaven with us. Our ways aren't always as perfect as His. We just can’t measure up to His law no matter how hard we try. Sometimes we leave smudges that He has to go back over, but He doesn't complain. He's proud of our effort and participation. That’s an amazing example to follow.