“I Will Not Be Negligent”

We are well into the spring season and you know what that means – baby chicks and ducks! Here’s Anna introducing Rowdy to one of the baby ducks.

I really hate to report to you that our little flock from last year didn’t quite make it…not at all.  Even with our efforts of having a new, more secure coop built, we lost all of them – apparently to a rather large predator. Because of this, we knew we had to strengthen the fencing. The existing chicken wire just did not do its job.

We bought a much stronger welded wire at Tractor Supply to put on the outside of the coop.

In preparation for when the chicks are big enough to move outside, we went ahead and constructed a divider – just in case there’s strife in the coop. 😉

Finally, we added chicken wire to the above frame as well as the top of the coop…for added protection from the scores of hawks that hovered around last year.

We sure are hoping the above efforts will help protect our little feathered friends this year.

After last year’s experience, if we were to place this year’s baby chicks and ducks in the very same coop – without first reinforcing it – it would be an act of negligence on our part. Why would we do that?

This morning, the girls and I spent some time talking about the following passage:

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.” II Peter 1:12-15

In short, Peter is telling the believers that he will not neglect to remind them of the spiritual truths that they have already been taught. As long as he is alive, Peter desires to continually bring to their remembrance Biblical doctrines necessary for their steadfastness as Christians. Peter said, “I will not be negligent…” – in other words, for Peter to fail to consistently remind them would be an act of negligence on his part.

As a mother, that stirs my heart! I certainly don’t want to be guilty of negligence in the lives of my children…my grandchildren…as well as others that the Lord may allow me to influence. When I fail to faithfully pass on Bible truths to those whom the Lord has entrusted to me, I am being negligent. When the Lord nudges my heart to teach a truth to my girls and I have fallen into the mindset of…

“I’ve already told them – they know it”

or

“Pastor preached on that two months ago – I don’t need to say it again”

or

“They’re learning it in Sunday School – no sense in repeating it”

I am being negligent.

Repetition is like adding welded wire to an existing coop. Repetition is like stapling chicken wire to the top of a coop. Repetition strengthens truths that have already been taught. Repetition helps prevent predators from swooping down or breaking in and snatching away truths from young minds.

Ahhhh – as mothers, may we not allow discouragement or weariness cause us to faint. May we not allow apathy to blind us to our God-given responsibility. By God’s grace may we, like Peter, say

“I WILL NOT BE NEGLIGENT”

“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;” II Peter 1:13