Today, I gave myself the day
off. My Sabbath was supposed to be
Saturday but expected client work did not arrive; I felt so peaceful today I
decided I needed to go with it. I took
my daughter to the orthodontist and didn’t freak out when the cost of treatment was
more than cars I have bought (not kidding).
I wrote a thank you note to a friend, invited my college-aged son to
lunch, and settled in for a peaceful, unhurried day. It’s been a while since I’ve posted so I was
also listening. Listening for something…
As I wrestled with my friends
Doubt and Fear this week, I have felt the support of so many in my Christian
community, so much so that I almost feel undeserving. This is when I remember that church is not a
place you go; it is people who are connected by the Spirit. Honestly, I’ve been a little worry warrior
lately so the gift of some peace was welcome.
My son says that worrying is like telling God that we think we know
better than He does. hmmm… Is it even allowed for your teenager to take
you down like that?
As I checked the news before
settling in for a nap, I saw a headline entitled “Woolly Mammoth: Shearer Saves
Hugely Overgrown Sheep.” As it turns
out, an Australian sheep that got lost from its flock probably five or six
years ago was found carrying 89 pounds of wool.
Merino sheep are typically shorn every spring. The sheep was really suffering from being
lost in the wild. Among other things, he
was partially blinded by the wool and his hooves were damaged from carrying the
weight of the extra wool. I never
thought about this before, but it seems that sheep, if left in the wild, can
die. Is this the only animal that needs
humans to survive? I confess my only
knowledge of sheep is limited to the trivia I hear in the periodic sermons on “Peter,
feed my sheep” or “I am the Good Shepherd” scriptures so I’m not much of an
expert. Here’s a little trivia from the article: The sheep was named Chris. Short for Christian, maybe? You decide.
Bam. That Jesus is so clever. Here I am thinking he used the sheep metaphor
because that had meaning to the agricultural people of his day. Sure. And,
since most of us have no contact with sheep these days, this metaphor is not
that relevant but we can get there by going with the “we are the people of his
pasture, we’re part of the flock, we’re all in this together and Jesus is our shepherd/leader.” Yeah.
Let’s not forget the shepherd in
Luke who left the 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep and when he finds it, he
lays it across his shoulders and rejoices.
Then he goes home and throws a party.
The sheep would die without being part of the community, without being
with other sheep, and without someone to care for them. And it is worth it to momentarily leave the
99 to themselves and find the one missing sheep. Finding the one lost sheep is worth it
because otherwise he will die.
In 2015, I finally get that Jesus
wasn’t just talking about a wildlife metaphor but about an example of survival
that requires community. I can’t think
of another animal that needs this symbiotic relationship with humans to
survive. We are built for relationship
and going through life alone, being blind to the Spirit, and carrying painful
baggage (whatever your “wool” is) is not the life that Jesus has called us to
live. We cannot truly live in a spiritual wilderness.
What I experienced this week was
being part of the fold - being cared for by the flock because it’s essential to
my survival. I believe the care I received in the form of conversation, fellowship, emails and
texts from my fellow sheep kept me going.
I also believe that the peace I feel today is a gift from the Good
Shepherd who is taking good care of me - if I will be still and let him.
Do you belong to a community that
is essential to your survival? Is there
a community that opens your eyes to God and helps you shed what weighs you
down?
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