Valentine Chicks Leave an Easter Impression
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Bearing Fruit: Cultivating the Garden of Our Hearts
Gardens are an important setting in Scripture. Adam and Eve are created in the Garden of Eden, born out of God’s great love for us (Genesis 2). Jesus prays and suffers in the Garden of Gethsemane before he is arrested and crucified (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46)—again, out of love for us.
This Lent, the Catholic Women in Business team is meditating on our interior garden, where we can invite God to help us bear fruit. As St. Augustine wrote, “The turn of phrase by which the man is said to work the land, which is already land, into also being landscaped and fertile, is the same as the one by which God is said to work the man, who was already a man, into also being godfearing and wise.”
Chirp, chirp, chirp!
“Mommy, the eggs are making noise!” my girls exclaimed.
“How could that be?” I thought to myself. “These chicks haven’t hatched yet!”
But I was totally new to the chicken egg incubation process, so I had no idea how it all worked. Sure enough, as I came closer to the incubator, and one of the girls placed the egg near my ear, I could hear it: a precious, tiny chirp, coming from inside the egg! I was amazed and flabbergasted.
These little eggs were about to hatch, and I couldn’t wait! It’s funny to think that I was less than excited when I learned that my husband had agreed to help our daughters earn their “Bird” badge through their American Heritage Girls troop. What? You bought an incubator, a warming light, brooder, pellets, and eggs home for our girls to supervise?
“OK,” I thought, “I’m handing this all over to Jesus!”
Valentine Chicks
“Mommy, according to our calculations, the chicks should hatch on or around Valentine’s Day!” one of the girls informed me.
“Oh, I wouldn’t get your hopes up, sweetie. We’ll see what happens,” I replied.
In retrospect, it is wonderful to see the confidence with which my girls marked down the days on their calendar. Indeed, they believed in their hearts that these little new lives would come to us. They tenderly cared for the eggs, turning them morning and night as instructed. They carefully washed their hands before handling them, and they eagerly awaited each day in expectation of their arrival.
One of the most fun moments took place on day 12, when my husband turned off all the lights in the house and used a flashlight to look to see if there was any movement inside an egg. It moved! We saw little wiggles—amazing new life!
The Big Reveal: Hatching Day
It was day 20 when we began to hear the chirps. We were jumping for joy! It was also the eve of St. Valentine’s Day, and as we spotted a crack in one of the eggs, we marveled as the chick powerfully and meticulously began to crack and push its way out. Her dark little feathers were revealed, and we had our first chick! The girls lovingly named her Valentine (aka Val), in honor of the feast day.
Having never witnessed a hatching chick, I was left in awe, with an instantaneous, miraculous feeling for the sacredness of new life.
A second egg hatched the following day, St. Valentine’s Day. Since the name Val was taken, the girls decided to name her Muddles.
Two chicks for our twins—perfectly timed, perfectly arranged.
Nuggets of Wisdom
I learned so many lessons from these Valentine chicks, and they reinforced virtues as well. Val and Muddles served as reminders for the ways I should be directing my work life as a Catholic professional:
Patience
It takes time for things to change, and I must be patient at work. Good things come to those who wait and believe. As it says in James 5:7, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.”
Tenderness
There is nothing more soothing to the soul than some tender, loving care. Am I reaching out to my colleagues who seem frustrated or lonely?
Diligence
It takes a lot of hard work and time for a chick to crack out of an egg! Am I investing effort into sharing my time, talents, and treasures with co-workers?
Our Need for One Another
Another fascinating aspect of the hatching process was how Val helped Muddles get out of her egg. She pecked, assisting with the cracking, so her friend could finally get out. It can be a long, exhausting process for chicks to make their way out into this world, and it struck me how much we need others, too! Am I helping my friends at work find their way out of challenges?
Hope
Just as my girls had hope for their new chicks, I want to carry holy hope each day to my job.
The Miracle of New Life
A perfect representation for the meaning of Easter!
While I pray and fast at the end of Lent, I await the arrival of Easter with the same anticipation that my girls held for the birth of their chicks.
Lilia Grundy is University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business’ Director of Corporate Partnerships with over 20 years of corporate experience (including Kraft Foods, NBC Television, and Telemundo). Lilia launched Catholic Women Professionals to inspire other working women to grow their faith. She is married to her high school sweetie Rob - they have beautiful twin girls who love art, music and learning about the Saints.