A Shepherd's Moment...

After we returned home the wedding, we discovered many garden chores awaited us. Quarts of beans and pints of apple sauce are now lining the pantry shelves and more abounds for us to do. It is easy to get overwhelmed among our tasks at hand these days. I did, however, find the opportunity to visit my ewe flock the day following our return home.

It's always a joy to see the flock of ewes running to great you as you come into the pasture. Of course, most of them are just checking to see if you brought "food" in the form of grain (which I did not). Not wanting to visit empty-handed, I did take to them a bucket of loose minerals, which they eager licked from the troughs. A head count is always first on my things-to-do list when sitting with the ewes. Some of my girls, now retired, are old and I worry about them maintaining weight before winter. Everyone seemed to quite happy in their pasture and seemingly had full bellies. Cooler temps while we were away tends to make the sheep a bit lazy, often not rousing from their beds until later morning.

The usual visitors who each personally greet me are Birch, Delilah, Jewel, Ingrid and Forsythia, our bell ewe. (Feel free to browse our flock pics online to "meet" each of our sheep @ http://www.paintedrockfarm.com/.) As I sat down on my bucket next to a tree, I noticed Rue, the barn cat, had followed me to the ewe pasture. Sitting down is an open invitation for her to become a lap cat, which she only does AWAY from the house. :) The sun was just coming up over the trees and began to warm my face as I watched my sheep. Birch laid down next to my feet while Delilah, Jewel, Ingrid and Forsythia competed for my attention. I actively scratched their cheeks, rubbed their chest and patted their sides all the while talking to them, telling them I had missed them (this is TRUTH). My Jacobs are so attentive, at least they seem like they are really listening as I talk!

Most of the flock began to graze a bit and slowly created a small amount of distance from where I sat. Occasionally, I would see one lift her head to see if I was still there, then return to eating. The faithful few, however, remained at my side, awaiting a turn to be petted. Slowly, each one settled in her place and stood quietly around me, save Birch who remained at my feet and Rue who slept in my lap. Forsythia had her head cradled in my left arm and Delilah's head rested on my left leg. Jewel rested her chin on my knee while Ingrid laid her head on my right shoulder. This would have been a really cool picture had someone else come with me!

As I soaked in the morning sunshine, the Lord began to speak to me about His sheep and the Great Shepherd, Jesus. He revealed this picture to me: "You see, this moment is much like what is going on the Body of Christ even now. The flock as a whole is always within eye sight of the Shepherd, who lovingly looks over them. Most of the flock gaze contentedly at the Shepherd, comforted by His presence. They enjoy His company, glad to be part of His flock and are often found simply doing their own thing and eating from the table. But there are those few, those special ones, who seek to sit at the Shepherd's feet and love on Him. They gently push their way in nearer just to touch Him, to rest in His presence. At that moment, nothing else matters to the sheep. They aren't wanting to go anywhere else, not wanting to do anything else and also not wanting anything from Him. They are simply trusting the Shepherd fully with all they are and, all the while, resting on Him. This doesn't mean the rest of the flock is any less loved by the Shepherd nor does it question their position of being in the flock. It is just the simple fact that not all are willing to press in close just to be with the Shepherd. In fact, many are the ones who have entered into the Kingdom but choose to remain in the outer courts. Only a few will choose to sacrifice all, be willing to give up all they desire to do, merely to rest in His presence."

In my flock of 45 ewes, only 5 chose to remain close to me that day. The rest were indeed content with grazing, lying down or otherwise doing their own thing. The handful that stood by my side rested there with me for more than 1/2 hour. I was so humbled by God's revelation at such an unexpected moment, but such are His ways, aren't they? My heart cry is that I remain in that Mary-place of worship. Oh, how my heart longs to hear His voice call me "Beloved" as He did with John! Lord, forgive me of the times I get up from that place next to you to pursue my own desires. Teach me to walk in that place of worship throughout my days!

Quoting a GodChasers devotional I received recently: "Don't confuse being a Christian with being a disciple. Every believer is a Christian but not every believer is a disciple. Disciples are believer's whoa re committed to going deeper and deeper with the Lord - as deep as they can go. Most believer's are content just to be saved. They're just happy to have their ticket to heaven. The demands of the deeper life of Christ don't really attract them....The deeper you go into the palace, the fewer the people you will find. Why? Because few people are willing to pay the price of moving deeper." Read LUKE 14:25-33. Jesus clearly lays out the true cost of discipleship.