Read Online Through the Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer - Free Book Online

would most likely purchase your eggs. But not until then.”
    All the walk home, Amos had pondered how to increase his flock to meet Mr. Irwin’s demands. While scattering grain for the birds, working in his garden, and repairing the fence, he’d continued to think and pray. Now, sitting at his supper table with the meager contents of his money jar glinting in the lamplight, he gathered the conclusions he’d reached.
    He had space for a bigger flock on his land. He’d need a bigger chicken house, but he could tear down the two sheds on the back edge of his property and use the lumber to expand the current chicken house. Fortunately his arms and back were still strong even if his damaged leg slowed his progress. If he bartered with the neighboring farmer to clear a bit more of his land, he could increase his corn crop for feed. He didn’t mind working longer and harder to take care of a bigger flock.
    But how to get the bigger flock? Chicks cost money. He shifted his attention to the stacked coins again. Mr. Irwin said to triple or quadruple his number of birds, but to even double his flock would cost more than what he had. His shoulders sagged. A sigh wheezed from his lungs. “You’ve blessed me in so many ways with this house and land and barn. I’m grateful for what You’ve given, and I don’t want to be a complainer like the Israelites who could never be satisfied with what You gave them, but …”
    He swallowed. Should he even express a “but” to the One who’d already given him so much? Then he decided to go ahead. The Almighty God knew his thoughts anyway, so he wouldn’t surprise Him when he spoke them aloud. He turned his face to the ceiling. “But with forty-eight chickens I’ll never have enough money for what I really want.”
    Tightness built in his chest. The chickens weren’t his biggest dream. Becoming a family man like his brothers was his biggest dream. But he couldn’t have one without the other. “Is it too much to ask for a bigger flock? I’ll be an honest farmer, Lord. I’ll continue to tithe—I won’t be selfish with the profits. I’m not asking for a fancy house or a new carriage or even a hip that doesn’t pain me when I walk. I can make do with little. But, dear Lord, can’t I please have what Titus and John have? Can’t I have a wife and children?”
    He rose and plodded to the bucket of water he’d brought in earlier. He heated a pan of water on the stove, poured it into a basin with a little lye soap, then scrubbed the few items he’d used when preparing and eating his supper. As he set the clean plate in its place on the sideboard, an idea struck with such force he dropped the fork. It clattered against the wooden floor, its ting-ting-ting! matching the wild clamor in his chest.
    He slapped his forehead and laughed aloud. “What a fool I must be not to see the answer!” He looked up, shaking his head and grinning at the ceiling beams as if God’s face were there instead. “Thank You, Lord, for opening my feeble mind.”
    He hurried back to the table, doing a double hop on his good leg in his eagerness, and separated out the fifty-cent piece from the other coins. As hedropped the pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters into the jar, he laughed again. Why hadn’t he thought of it earlier and saved himself some worry? If he bought a rooster or maybe even two, his eggs would be fertilized. He could leave behind a few eggs each day for the chickens to hatch. Then when the chicks were hatched, he’d let the pullets grow up to lay eggs, and the roosters could be butchered, bartered, or sold.
    As he reached to set the money jar on its high shelf, he caught a glimpse of the night sky outside his window. Black velvet had replaced the dingy gray, and stars winked white. He sent a silent prayer of thankfulness to the One behind the stars. Yes, it would take longer, raising his own chicks to expand his flock, but did he have to be in a hurry? Mr. Irwin hadn’t said, “Come