Dancing Chicken

One of the best analogies I have heard about the principle of agency (choice) came from a movie called "Pure Country". In the movie Dusty (George Strait), talks about how he feels about performing on stage. He is a successful music artist that has been living the high life. He reaches a point where he realizes that what he is doing isn't making him happy. He has lost the joy of the music.

Talking to his best friend, the drummer, Dusty asks his friend if he remembers the dancing chicken booth at a carnival. The boys, intrigued by what they saw, crept backstage and saw the owner twisting the knob on the burner underneath the stage. As the stage became warmer and warmer the chicken started dancing. Dusty then talked about how he was the chicken underneath a stage of fame and fortune and, like the chicken, he didn't know how to get off the stage. In the movie, he left the stage and career to again find himself and his heart in music.

On our stage, we choose which side we are going to stand on. Our choices bring us closer to the heat or closer to the peace that comes from our Savior. Christ has given us tools to be able to overcome any of those fiery darts(1 Nephi 15:24). Sometimes, however our choices lead us to consequences that cause us, like Dusty, to question, why we are dancing on the heat?

When we become like the chicken, dancing on the stage become hotter and hotter, Satan continues turning up the heat even when we don't notice. The only coolant to the fiery darts of Satan is the love of Christ. Through Jesus Christ we can be guided away from the Heat and toward the Peace the Christ offers. I testify that Jesus Christ brings answers, healing and sweet peace. He truly will help us as we strive to find our way  to our Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.