The Miracle of the Marching Chickens

I recently heard a guy online talking about his grandparents. They were street preachers way back in the day in West Virginia and had barely any money to survive. The grandson had asked them what was one of the biggest miracles you ever saw. The story went something like this:

One morning grandma woke up and there was no food for breakfast; nothing. But grandma had an ace up her sleeve: BIG faith.

Grandma knew just what to do: pray; and pray she did.

No sooner had she finished when she looked out her window and saw, marching down the hill towards the house, chickens! Twenty-one chickens to be exact.

Grandma noted to herself that this was odd as normally chickens are not on the move, and certainly not with such determination.

She watched them come down the hill. She watched as all 21 of them took a turn and went straight into their shed.

Curiosity sprang forth and grandma followed to see what they were up to. Are you ready for this? All 21 chickens had laid an egg, and then all 21 chickens promptly left the shed and headed back up the hill.

Grandma quickly gathered the eggs and then followed the chickens about ¼ mile back up that hill to the house they came from. She knocked on the door of the house and shared the story of watching the chickens march down the hill, turn into the shed, lay one egg each and march back up the hill. She then said to the lady, “They’re obviously your chickens. I want to return the eggs.”

The woman of the house said, “Those cannot be my chickens. My husband hates those chickens! Ever since we got them, they have not laid a single egg; not one!”

Grandma insisted, telling here “We don’t own chickens; I’m sure these are your eggs.” The woman finally said, “look, if they are on your property, you can keep them.”

For the rest of the time that they lived there, every time grandma and grandpa would get low on eggs, here would come those chickens, walking single file down the hill, turn into the shed, each would lay one egg and then promptly returned to their pen up the hill.

Grandma never had to clean up after them; she never had to feed them; she did not have to build them a pen or invest any amount of money, time or care into them. All she needed to do was collect the blessings.

The bible says: "Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things." Proverbs 13:21 NIV

It does not mean Christ-followers never face struggles, but ultimately, they experience God’s favor and peace.

This story also reminded me of Elijah and the ravens in 1 Kings 17:4-6, where God commanded the birds to bring him food. It is such a powerful testimony of faith, how God answers prayers in unexpected ways!

Also, Matthew 6:26: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

It is amazing how God can use anything, even reluctant chickens, to meet the needs of His people. Have you ever experienced something like this in your own life? I would love to hear your story.

by Jeanette Stark – Monday, February 3, 2025