Ati Chicken delivery on God’s time, not ours

Last Updated on June 7, 2023 by Ellen

The Force, or the Universe, or God – whatever you want to call it – has me right where I’m supposed to be. I also believe everything happens on God’s time frame. Not mine.

Observant readers will notice this is the second day in a row that I’m posting. Usually my husband Tedly and I alternate days. But I offered to post for today, so he could post tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a big day for him. Today — well, today was a bit of a disappointment.

Chicken delivery: Delayed

We were supposed to get the chicken delivery for the Ati henhouse today. But, there is a delay.

We are helping the Ati indigenous tribe with some community betterment projects in Malay, Aklan, Philippines. And today, 140 egg-laying hens were supposed to be delivered.

They were to fill the majority of the beautiful henhouse constructed by hard working Ati men and women. And they will. They’re just not there tonight.

At about 3:45 p.m., I got word the delivery truck was still in Kalibo. It would never make it to our area with enough daylight for Ati men to carry chickens up a mountain on a dirt path with no electricity. Oh – and it started raining, too.

The truck will spend the night in Caticlan, and so will the driver. Then, early tomorrow morning, we will get the egg-ready hens.

Now, you might say, ‘That delay isn’t on God’s time! That’s a driver who’s late!’

To which I would reply, that is true. The driver is late.

But I’ve no idea why he’s late. Is it his fault, or is it simply the way things worked out? Instead of worrying about why he’s late, I’ll just accept that it is.

What can I do about his late arrival now? Other than to readjust plans for tomorrow?

Slow travel lessons

As a former executive producer in the news business, I kept up with the immediate, constant pace of the job. I did this for some years, like a long distance runner who has to save juice for breaking news sprints.

When I started slow traveling, I learned to slow everything about my life down. Mexico, where we spent the majority of our first two years of traveling, taught me so much.

When it rains, it pours – literally – and plastic helps. Mosquitoes suck. Some people in the world go barefoot in all public places. A smile bridges any and all language barriers. And so much more.

One of the more important lessons Mexico taught me was about time. A downpour can drown even the most punctual effort. A siesta is more valuable to the body and spirit than a half-hour lunch break.

I miss Mexico. I’ll always love that country, no matter what.

Chicken delivery on God’s time

Tedly has gotten to know Ati tribe members here on Panay Island pretty well over the last several weeks. He likes them, and he gets something back for giving away his time, and money.

Tedly goes up the mountain for construction oversight, but he also works side-by-side with Ati men – he helps carry up supplies.

He enjoys town trips to Caticlan where he shops for supplies with the tribal council.

He’s even met with electric company officials with the council to better understand exactly what is required to bring electricity to the upper village.

With no chickens coming today, the Ati men went home. Tedly came home – a little disappointed, but accepting. Nothing was to be done about it. We had dinner with Mom Diane, chatted, and the day is suddenly gone.

Right now, as I write this, Tedly is softly snoring. He was up by 6:00 a.m. today – all excited about the chickens. He’s never up that early. He is so excited about his friends having a way to make a little money. Egg sales won’t make the Ati rich, not by a long shot. But it will help.

When the delivery finally comes in the morning, it will be undoubtedly gratifying to Tedly. And then, at the end of the day, he can write up the joy of chicken delivery day.

At this moment, the rain is steady. Hypnotic. It reminds me yet again: everything is on God’s time. Not mine.

Thanks for reading, “Chicken delivery delay for Ati tribe in Malay, Aklan.”