Steve Shultz: "HAPPY THANKSGIVING! A Story of the Prophetic Turkey"

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Steve Shultz:

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING! A Story of the Prophetic Turkey"

God Has a Sense of Humor

All you have to do is look at the back cover of the November ElijahRain magazine and you'll know I feel that even the prophetic community needs to lighten up at times. We need to be real, and let more humor out of our box.

I say this because you're going to have to trust me that I actually have a serious prophetic point in what I'm writing here. But I see God as having a sense of humor, and He often lets us see that side of Him.

Who doesn't connect Thanksgiving and the Christmas season with the carving of a turkey? Though I was raised vegetarian, I learned to enjoy turkey at Thanksgiving and many other occasions (though I'm not into hunting, personally).

Beyond that, I'm one of those who often "cheat" and listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Around the time of both Thanksgiving and Christmas, one of my favorite songs to listen to is called, The Christmas Song, by Mel Torme, written around 1945. It has these lyrics in one of the verses:

"...Everybody knows, a turkey, and some mistletoe...."

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Although I know the song is going to talk about mistletoe and all things associated with Christmas, I get about as far as the word "turkey" and--at least in my mind--I chuckle, "Well, I've known a few turkeys in my time."

Sometimes, I just entertain myself!

One of my editors, Terry Lea, did some research for me on the turkey. A pastor and close friend of hers is Paul Haglin of Resurrection Christian Ministries in Hawk Point, Missouri. He didn't even know what I am yet to share with you in this article, when he comically wrote to Terry:

"Although turkeys would not be specifically mentioned in the Bible, as they are native to North America, it could be said that there were at least three turkeys in the Bible...Esau for giving his birthright away for a bowl of stew; Saul for his actions against David; and Balaam?no further words necessary, (tongue-in-cheek)."

When I asked my Jewish friend, Curt Landry, if he knew of any reference to a turkey in the Bible, he had great fun teasing me with:

"The turkey question is deep and dry humor that might need a little gravy. Gravy in the Hebrew diet in Bible times was deep cover up to make everything taste like chicken. Chicken can heal all things in a Jewish home, including a turkey. In Modern Hebrew, "gravy" translates out to the word, "grace." His grace makes all turkeys--chickens."

I don't know why we don't take the turkey very seriously--but we don't. They are not especially attractive birds, unless they're served up at Thanksgiving!

Then the Dove Showed Up

Some of you may remember about three years ago, after kneeling in my "prayer closet," which happens to be my bathroom (outside our master bath is an emblazoned plaque I've owned for about 10 years and it reads "Revelation Room"--I'm not kidding!). After that prayer, I received a 38-day visit by a beautiful white dove. You can still find the story in the ElijahList archives (click here to read).

I had decided three years ago to kneel, quite literally, on the floor of my bathroom and ask the Lord to "be merciful to me, a sinner." (Sometimes I have to remind people that's in the Word.) Then I asked for God to show up and give our family more joy. I went directly outside and there, atop my house, was a beautiful white dove that returned daily for 38 days in a row.

Later Mahesh Chavda, not knowing this story, gave me a prophetic word from Revelation 3:8. The gist of this verse says this (in Steve Shultz lingo): "I've seen your deeds, both good and bad and you're pretty weak. But because you haven't denied My name, and for that reason alone--I'll cause your enemies to fall down at your feet and proclaim that God has loved you!"

I've wanted that dove to return, but it only came those 38 days. End of story.

Until about a couple months ago....

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Not a Dove but a...TURKEY

But, before I tell you the next part of the story, I have to tell you that all year, the Lord has been working feverishly with me to be more thankful and full of praise and gratitude for what He does for me.

And this year, whenever I don't see gratitude shown to me for something I meant kindly, God will inevitably lead me to my prayer closet to ask Him, "Lord, is this how I treat You when You do kind things to, or for, me?"

My wife and I have talked about life's lessons and that maybe God has been showing us these lessons to intensify our gratitude to Him, rather than feel upset when someone doesn't show one of us the gratitude we thought we'd get.

So, again, it's been three years and now I felt more than ready for the beautiful white dove to show up on our 20-acre property again. We've lived here for eight years now, so I think one more "visit" would be in order.

But what do we get?

Just about two months ago, into our backyard wanders--for the first time I've ever seen on our property--a wild turkey with six chicks in tow!

Apparently, it's decided its home is our home. Yes, a turkey has decided the forest area of our property out back is home. So our little forested area is where this turkey takes its little babies. The female turkey can take care of her little ones for up to a full year--longer than many species of birds or animals take care of their young. Sometimes a mother turkey is called "a hen" by the way.

It somewhat reminds me of the time Jesus wept over Jerusalem, saying:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Luke 13:34-35 (emphasis added)

The above Scripture was not a curse, but rather it was a blessing. Jesus (Yeshua) was saying that Israel would, in fact, see their Messiah again when (not if) they finally proclaimed, with thanksgiving, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD."

This brings us "full circle" to our recent experience at home. I wanted a beautiful white dove to finally return to our property, but the Lord sent us a turkey--a mother "hen" with six chicks!

As it turns out, when I was growing up, I was one of six siblings and my mother was always there for me. My father, who is now with the Lord, was much less present in my life. Interestingly, the male turkey actually takes off, or is less present, while the mother "hen" turkey keeps those little ones safe and cared for--for a very long time. (Just as in my own life, I was one of the six who was cared for by my mother.)

God is speaking to me, and many of you who read this, through this story. (Fortunately many of you had great fathers and we ALL have an awesome Heavenly Father.)