Have you ever spoken to a Chicken? I’m not referring to the chicken thigh on your plate last night that did not budge when you attempted to sink your fork in it. I speak of a live chicken. Have you ever spoken to one? How about an egg? I’m amazed by what a chicken egg said to me during breakfast two days ago. It took me this long to recover to tell my story.
I woke up refreshed and ready to take on the day. As I gratefully observed the gradual brightening of the skies, I had a sudden hunger for whole grain bread toast, slathered with some Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, a hardboiled egg, prepared the way my mom taught me, and a hearty cup of pure Kenyan Chai Tea with extra ginger. Fresh strawberries featured strongly in my head too. So I set out to silence that angry voice in my belly.
As the egg danced in the now hot water, I prepared the strawberries, retrieved the bread and popped it into the Toaster. Many Tea experts may gasp at what I did next, but I was not trying to become a Tea connoisseur. I microwaved some water to prepare my cup of tea; I hope my English friends will spare me the merciless rebuke. I then got everything ready except the egg. I carefully peeled its shell, the tiny membrane proving to be a bit obstinate, but I triumphed. Alas I was ready to enjoy my breakfast. I was approaching my third bite and fourth sip when it happened.
Staring at the egg, I noticed a flat end and wondered why all hardboiled eggs have that. I tried to stand it up, thinking that was its purpose but failed miserably. My breakfast turned into a frightening challenge of figuring out why the flat end of an egg existed. Other questions joined in the chorus; how come eggs have shells? Why do chickens lay eggs, and what really came first, the chicken or the egg?
Gazing at the egg as I struggled to find answers, I recalled what the man with a funny name – Job – said years ago. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.” (Job 12:7-8) And so I asked, and did I get a mouth full! Hear what the egg said.
There are three main parts, the Shell, Yolk, and the Albumen (egg white). The shell has about 10,000 pores to let oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. There are 4 attachments, 2 to the yolk for food source, and 2 to the outer (stubborn) membrane for breathing. Around the 19th day of incubation, the chick uses it’s “egg tooth” to peck a hole at that mysterious end of the egg which stores about 6 hours of air, enough to allow it to break a hole in the shell for more oxygen. Wow! What an incredible design! I’m amazed by this gazing at an egg!
Little did I know my quest for breakfast would be transformed into a simple but profound lesson in God’s created order in the universe. Now, I gaze upon the solar system, skeletal system of the body, the circulation system, the water cycle, photosynthesis, pollination, metamorphosis and stand in amazement. I’m also awed by the order in the social realm looking at institutions such as the Family, the Church, and the Government. I’m amply convinced the only place we can find meaning and order is gazing into the face of the Creator. I can’t help but see the divine imprint of the mighty God. He alone sets the definition for family, church, government and everything else in the universe. The smallest deviation from His perspective will create disorder and grave heartaches. He has proved over again that, He is a loving God of order, in absolute control, and has set things in order for our benefit.
If I were not hungry after listening to an egg, I’m sure the strawberries would have said some things to me also. I think I even saw it turn to show me its many pointed eyes as I bit into the last one.
A Maze in Gaze 
Hmmmn? Very interesting!
Really interesting! Thanks, Dee.
Wow! Can I just tell you that this morning when my alarm went off the first time, I snoozed a little and as I slowly woke into consciousness I thought about how there are 4 seasons, which are based on the distance from the sun, which is based on the orbit of the earth. I was also thinking about how the earth is round and gravity is what keeps us from falling off this cosmic sphere. I know these are all truths that most of us have known for a long time, but if you actually stop and think about the logic and WHY it’s this way, I can’t see how someone could actually debate that there wasn’t a creator for the earth, its systems. It’s not by chance that the Earth exists and it’s not by chance that we exist. I know that God is the Creator of all! And He cares about EVERY little detail!
So true, Angie. Thanks for the reminder. The little details we often ignore point to a loving God who cares about EVERY little detail of our lives. I’m learning to gaze slowly! Keep gazing!!!