(My stats page records which of my blog entries have been read on any given day. This entry from 2012 recently received attention, so I decided to run it again.)
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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:1-2
During the 1950s and 1960s, my father had a cattle ranch in Nevada. When ready to be sent to the fattening yards in Missouri and Iowa, the cattle were loaded into huge trailers. With my penchant for Western movies, I pictured an old time cattle drive from Texas to St. Louis—or wherever—with a John Wayne type at the rear and cowboys riding alongside to prevent a stampede.
For eighteen years, I raised a small spinner’s flock of sheep. When it was time for shearing the trick was to lure the critters into their enclosure, quickly shut the gate so they could not escape, and then pray they wouldn’t bust out of their shed before the shearer arrived.
Sheep are reputedly stupid. Bah! Or I should say, “Ba-a-a-a-a-a!” Time and again they proved to be smarter than my husband and I were. If the sheep got wind of the fact that we really wanted them in their shed, they would be impossible to catch. There was no way we could chase them into their shed. There was no way we could drive them, the way cattle are driven. Although they may be herded by a smart border collie, sheep just don’t drive!
The only possible way we could incarcerate our sheep on their “beauty salon day” was to LEAD them—and then only with the best of grain, with plenty of molasses in it. Only horse “sweet feed” would do, on shearing day. Even then, the perceptive creatures seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads, and would nervously skitter back out to the pasture if they sensed that we planned to close a gate behind them. Stupid? I don’t think so. Silly, yes, but very intuitive when intuition is needed.
When we belong to the Lord, we are His sheep. Life may seem full, but He never drives us. He makes us lie down in green pastures—and gives us rest.
Life may seem stressful, but He never drives us. He leads us with the finest food—His Word, the Bread of Life.
Life may seem hectic, but He never drives us. He leads us beside still waters—the Living Water.
Life may seem terrifying and threatening, but He never drives us. He leads (and protects) us with His rod and His staff.
Life may seem confusing, but He never drives us. He leads us home through the fog with goodness and mercy, and we will dwell in His house forever.
Cattle are driven; sheep are LED!
Margaret L. Been
Note: The above photo was taken by our grandson, Tyler Been, during his nine months attendance at Capernwray Bible School, New Zealand.
It’s so wonderful to get two blogs from you this week! I love seeing “Northern Reflections” pop up in my mail. You are such a gifted writer,and I’m grateful for your unflappable faith. Thank you!
Thank you Sally! You are a great encourager! 🙂
I remember this one and once again it is reassuring.
Thank you, Janet!