But You Don't Look Like a Chicken Farmer

I love to travel. I feel like a fish thrown back into an ocean teeming with life when I step into an airport full of people. I can’t wait to meet those whom God puts in my path, whether it’s on an escalator, on one of those cool moving walkways, or sitting next to me on the plane.

I feel sorry for those who are stuck next to me for two or more hours!  I love to hear about their interesting lives, their children, their jobs, and even their struggles. My desire is always to find an opportunity to let them know how much Jesus loves them! 

I’ve met some of the most fascinating people through my travels around the world. I’ll never forget a trip I took several years ago. I was at DFW Airport, headed to see my oldest daughter, who was attending school in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

I had just prayed, “Lord, lead me to whomever You want me to meet today!”

I looked up and found myself standing behind a very large man in the security line. I was absolutely in awe—and practically speechless—at his size as we stood there together taking off our shoes and belts and placing everything on the security conveyor belt. He was with a very pretty, petite woman whom I soon found out was his fiancée.

I don’t usually find it hard to strike up a conversation with complete strangers. Even my son says I’d make a great spy because I know how to get people to answer all my crazy questions, and they don’t think twice about answering!

But this time, I was trying to figure out what to ask without sounding ridiculous.

“Wow, how tall are you?”

Or maybe, “Those sure are big muscles! Do you lift weights?”

No. Definitely not. 

But I just knew that I knew that I knew he was somebody special!

But WHO was he?!

I was racking my brain, but it just wouldn’t come to me. So I prayed, “Lord, this guy is somebody special. Help me to know what to say.”

As I stood right next to him, waiting in line to go through the security body scanner, I finally mustered up the courage to ask about his cool T-shirt. It had a massive cross on the back with a Bible verse underneath it.

Clearing my throat, I cheerfully asked, “Excuse me. Where did you get that cool T-shirt? I sure do like it!”

He turned around with the biggest smile, and his eyes were almost as shiny as the large angel-emblem necklace he was wearing.

In a booming, deep—but incredibly kind—voice, he said, “I don’t know! Hey, honey! Where did you get this T-shirt?”

The ice was broken.

From there, we began talking about T-shirts and about the trip he and his fiancée were taking to meet her family.

But I was stumped.

I just KNEW this guy was famous, and I wanted to discreetly find out who he was.

After going through the security scanner, we had to quickly grab our things and find a place to put our shoes back on. Needless to say, I followed them to their bench and plopped down beside them to buckle my shoes.

I mean, this guy’s hands were HUGE!

So I said, “You sure are a very big, strong guy. Are you in the military?”

(I know…stupid question. )

He smiled and said no, but told me he proudly supported the military in many ways.

He was either having way too much fun not telling me who he was, or he was just extremely humble.

I believe it was the latter.

Then he asked, “So, where are you going?”

I told him I was going to Arkansas to see my daughter.

He said, “Oh, I own some chicken farms in Arkansas.”

I bet I stood there staring up at him for what seemed like a full minute, thinking:

Seriously? A chicken farmer?

And then I said it.

Yep. I said it.

“But you don’t look like a chicken farmer!”

This big sweetheart just laughed, shook his head, and replied, “Well, have you ever heard of Tyson Chicken? I own a portion of that company.”

So then I thought to myself:

Well…he doesn’t look like a Tyson Chicken company owner either! 

He could tell I was still not satisfied.

Finally, he said, “I did play some football in my day.”

THAT WAS IT!

He was a football player! I knew it!

Well…kinda. 

Obviously, he had been a professional football player.

So, very nonchalantly, I replied, “Oh, really? What’s your name, and who did you play for?”

With that big grin, he said, “Herschel Walker. I played for the Dallas Cowboys.”

Then he asked my name.

As if meeting Herschel Walker was really no big deal, I held out my shaking hand and said, “Well, Herschel Walker, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Jeanie Taylor.”

I said it as if I was really “somebody,” too! LOL!

He introduced me to his sweet fiancée, and she asked if I would like a few pictures with Herschel.

By this time, I was shaking in my sneakers!  I felt like a little quivering Chihuahua fumbling to find my cell phone in my purse so I could get a picture.

He was so kind and patient as he took several pictures with me and visited with me before we went our separate ways.

We waved goodbye as we walked away, and he called out, “Bye, Jeanie Taylor!”

And I yelled back, “Bye, Herschel Walker! Nice to meet you!”

I shook my head in disbelief and said to myself:

“Jeanie, seriously! A chicken farmer?” 

Later, I sat down to catch my breath and think about what a “God thing” it had been to stand in line with him and somehow know in my spirit that he was “somebody special” without having a clue who he was.

Then another memory came flooding back.

One time, after visiting my son, I was in a crowded subway station in Baltimore, Maryland. It was cherry blossom season, and there was also a huge hockey playoff game happening. Needless to say, the subway was packed with anxious people trying to get their tickets and hurry off to their destinations.

Suddenly, a young man in his twenties turned, looked at me, and said:

“You’re famous, aren’t you?”

I looked to my left.

Then to my right.

Then behind me.

Surely he wasn’t talking to ME!

I pointed to my chest and asked, “Me?”

The women with him turned around, and suddenly I had about five people staring straight at me with big smiles.

Again he said, “Yes, YOU! You are someone special. A famous person. We just can’t figure out who you are.”

I laughed and said, “Oh, no. I’m no one famous. I’m just a Texas girl and a pastor’s wife at a small church in Fort Worth, Texas.”

I tried to think of something impressive about myself, but that was about it! 

He said, “I read somewhere that if you ever run into someone famous, they won’t admit they’re famous. They’ll tell you something different.”

Then he began introducing me to his entire family and telling me what a pleasure it was to meet me, shaking my hand as the moving crowd slowly pushed him away.

#CelebrityForAHotSecond 

So there I sat at the airport, waiting to board my plane and looking at the pictures of Herschel and me.

I began thinking about how perhaps God didn’t want me to know who he was at first.

Maybe He wanted me to see beyond Herschel’s name and fame and simply see the man—his kindness and his humility.

What made him special wasn’t what he had accomplished in life.

Then I remembered my new friends in the Baltimore subway and how they weren’t convinced when I tried to tell them that I wasn’t anyone special.

And God reminded me of something important:

We are all special to Him.

Whether you have white skin or black skin, whether you’re an athlete or a stay-at-home mom, whether you have a college degree or a GED, whether you’re a former drug addict, divorced, single, out of work, or sitting at the top of the corporate ladder…

YOU ARE SPECIAL!

I wish I could simply say those words and cause you to be completely convinced of that truth.

But sometimes we struggle to believe it.

Why?

Because we have a great deceiver who lies to us, and far too often, for far too long, we believe him. Jesus called Satan the father of lies.

But there is something I can offer you that I pray will open your eyes to the truth about who you really are:

What God says about you in His Word.

Do you believe what He says?

You are forgiven! — Ephesians 1:7
You are a new creation! — 2 Corinthians 5:17
You are loved! — 1 John 3:1
You are fearfully and wonderfully made! — Psalm 139:14
You are chosen! — 1 Peter 2:9
God has a purpose for your life! — Jeremiah 29:11

So, my sweet friend, today is the day to stop believing those lies about who you are—or who you aren’t.

Hold your head up and start listening to the Voice of Truth!

You are a child of God. You belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords! You belong to Him, and you are His!

And the next time you meet someone for the first time, famous or not, smile and say:

“Hello! I’m __________! I’m a child of the Most High God!”

Now THAT makes you very special! 

And that goes for all you chicken farmers out there, too! 

Prayer

“Lord, thank You for loving us even when we struggle to love ourselves. Help us to fully receive Your grace that washes our sins away.

So many people are weary from trying to prove to the world that they are someone special because of what they have accomplished. It is a daily bondage.

Others beat themselves up, thinking they could never amount to anything special because they don’t have the size, the job, the man, the education, the accomplishments, or the beauty they think they need.

But You came to set the captives free!

Set us free to know who we truly are in You. Help us stop measuring our worth by the standards of this world and begin seeing ourselves through Your eyes.

Remind us that we are loved, forgiven, chosen, and cherished by YOU.

Help us listen to Your voice—the Voice of Truth—and walk confidently in who You created us to be.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.”