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(Psalm 23)
All is quiet on the
plateau where the
shepherds had
herded their sheep
the evening before.
The star-studded
sky is beginning to
lighten a bit,
promising a new day.
The shepherds are
stirring,
wakefulness
replacing their
guarded sleep of the night just ended. They had positioned themselves
strategically to be
protectors of their
flocks
in the community sheepfold. Here and there they heard
a “baa” as the sheep
aroused out of their
slumber eager
to be on their way to a nice green breakfast.
One ewe heavy with
lamb moaned in her
sleep and awoke
with a start from a
vivid dream. She
breathed a sign of
relief
when she realized
that it was only a
dream. It was so
real
that she shuddered
and her heart
pounded when she
remembered it. It
was reminiscent of
her scary experience
of two years ago
when she thought she
would surely die.
But, let’s allow
Maryewe to tell us
about it in her
words.
Maryewe’s Story
It was early evening
and we were on our
way back to the
cote and safety of
the shepherds’ care.
We had had a
good day of foraging
and were ambling
along toward the
evening’s resting place. I was near lambing, so I was a bit cumbersome and
slow but enjoying
the walk. As I
trudged
along at the back of
the fold, I noticed
this absolutely
luscious patch of
grass off to the
side. It was such a
tempting morsel. It
was early yet, so I
waddled toward
the great salad I had spotted as the flock continued
following their
shepherds. I would
just grab a few
bites and
catch up with the others soon enough; anyway I knew
the way home.
What I didn’t know,
however, nearly cost
me my life
right then and
there. The tall
grass concealed a
ditch,
which became a
pitfall for me. Down
I went, ker-thump!
And ended up on my back. I tried and tried but I just could
not aright myself.
There I lay, feet in
the air, gasping for
breath, knowing that
in a little while I
would lose feeling
in
my legs as the blood
left them and gases
would build up in
my body; and I would
die in the tall
grass. No one would
know what happened
to me. I knew I was
a “cast sheep”
and desperate, bleating with all the strength I had.
You probably know
that a “cast” sheep
is one in my
position,
so you can imagine
my horror at my
impending death.
I recalled a song
the shepherd sang
that said, “Why art
thou cast down…?”
(Psalm 42:6). In
this case I knew why
I was cast down; I had strayed from the fold. But let me tell
you about my Good
Shepherd. He knows
when one of His
sheep is missing,
because He knows
everyone of us by
name.
As I lay there
pondering my fate, I
heard Him call my
name, “Maryewe!” Oh,
great joy! He had
found me. He knew
that
my legs were numb from lack of circulation, so He gently
massaged them to get the blood flowing again, picked me up,
laid me over His shoulder and carried me back to fold. He
didn’t scold or upbraid me. He just tenderly set me down
in the safety of His
presence.
Today we will go out
again. Our Good
Shepherd is calling
us
and we are following Him, knowing that He will find us a good pasture. I
always know His
voice, even though
there are other
sheepfolds and
shepherds here. We
only go at the sound
of His voice. I know
His name too; Lord
is my Good Shepherd.
I never have to
worry about where
the next meal is
coming from,
because He always provides and I have no wants.
I and other members
of our flock will
follow Him today as
He leads us to the green pastures. When we have eaten our
fill, then we’ll lie down right there in the green pasture. That
should tell you that
we are content—we
would not be lying
down resting,
sleeping next to our
dinner plate if we
had not
been fed well. You
will also notice
that he will lead us
beside
a gently bubbling brook. He knows that we would not be able
to drink from a
rushing river. He
always knows what we
need and provides the best for us.
(Later) I feel so
restored! I have had
a good feed, plenty
of pure water and a
peaceful nap. Ewes
in my condition need
to have plenty of rest and good care. My Shepherd, Lord,
always knows how to
pick the best paths
for us to travel on.
He goes before us,
preparing the way;
but while He is
leading He never
forgets to keep a
watchful eye on the
sheep at the rear of the flock.
That’s how He missed
me and came looking
until He found
me when I had all but given up. I had walked into a valley
of the shadow of
death. I was
hopeless and could
not help
myself when He came
to me and said,
“Don’t be afraid,”
and rescued me from
the evil that had
entrapped me. So,
you can very well
see why I have such
complete confidence
and trust in Lord. I just knew He would not leave me lying
there for a wolf to
devour or to die
from my
condition and
exposure.
He always carries a
rod, and He knows
how to use it if
a predator threatens
one of us. He also
carries a long
shepherd’s hook that can reach into precipices or dangerous
places and pull a sheep in trouble back to safety. The rod
and staff and what
in my heart I hear
Him say --“I’ll
never
leave you nor forsake you”--comfort me!
Our enemies do not
intimidate Lord. He
takes us to
these choice feeding
places and peaceful
streams of water
and right there in the presence of enemies lurking in far
perimeters waiting
for a chance to
devour us, He
spreads our banquet!
That’s our Lord! He
keeps balm for
wounds and
oil for our wool to ward off insects and pests that would feed
on us and impede our
good health.
I have been fed,
watered, exercised
from green pasture
to green pasture and
protected from all
harm and danger.
An interesting note is that when we water at the wells, there
are small stone containers, “cups,” into which the shepherds sparingly
pour the precious
water for their
sheep. But Lord
doesn’t spare the
water. He fills our
cups until they run
over.
You can see why I
love Lord so much,
can’t you?
Lord is a Good
Shepherd who cares
deeply for all His
fold.
I will continue to follow Him wherever He may lead me,
because I know that
I’ll have a safe
place to stay and
all
my needs will be
met. He’s such a
Good Shepherd! His
goodness and mercy
(remember how He
took care of me
when I strayed) will follow me all the days of my life. I know
I can leave my little new lamb safely in His care forever!
Yes, Lord is a Good
Shepherd!
Delores Adams
June 8, 2003
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