Chicken story, again

A Windy Hello,
We haven't blown away yet, but it's trying. At least it's not really cold. I was able to take a long walk with Tucker, and that's a milestone for me.
When we were looking to move here, I thought that I'd never be able to walk to the area where I can throw Tucker's ball and back home. I thought that it was too far. I was wrong. My health has improved enough that I can walk all the way around our subdivision. I will admit to being very tired when we get back, but so is Tucker!
I have another chicken story for you. This one involves Red and Rufus. Red was a Rhode Island hen and Rufus was a white rooster, pumped up on feed that had hormone supplements in it for the cattle. He was easily 2 1/2 times her size and had a ego and temper to match. The barnyard was his kingdom. Even the geese were afraid of him.
Red was a pet and would take food from my hand. She wasn't young anymore and was the matriarch of the hen house, until Rufus showed up. Some friends were moving and we inherited Rufus, two geese and some exotic ducks and more chickens (remember Click and Cluck?).
Rufus would terrorize the barnyard, except where Red was concerned. He tried, trust me, to intimidate her, but she always fought him, and won.
Red wasn't normally a fighting type chicken. She wasn't aggressive with the other hens, but when Rufus came around, she'd actually attack him. Of course, he always started things, so that made her defensive. I think this defensive mode is what kept all of her feathers on her body. He was just nasty to everything else. I'm sure you get the point about Rufus. His demise was welcomed by one and all (that's another story, maybe).
That brings me to the scripture for today. It's found in Colossians 3:12-14. After you've read it, join me......
Because we are chosen (all believer's) we are holy and dearly loved. Isn't that wonderful??? Yes, it is. But, there's a commandment: clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
We can't be like Red and attack when attacked. God wants us to be the many attributes mentioned above. Unfortunately we will have enemies in this life. But how we respond makes or breaks our walk with the Lord. We are not obedient if we fight back in anger, agression, pouting, or passive aggressive behavior.
Verse 13 tells us to bear with one another and forgive. Sometimes, it's easier to bear than to forgive. But when the Lord says: forgive as I have forgiven you, it's a commandment. Sometimes that hard to do. I've found that asking the Lord for help and deciding to forgive and let the feelings follow is obedience in action.
So, then finally we are to bind things together with love. The blessing: perfect unity. Look at the list again in these verses and understand that God wants perfect unity, not division. Satan wants division and will use anything he can to obtain it. Choose who you will follow with your heart, because it leads the head.
Don't be a Rufus or a Red, be what God wants you to be, obedient and blessed.

Blessed,
Sandy