Shepherd

John 10:14-16(NIV)
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." 

Sheep are big beautiful woolly animals.  I always marvel at the cuteness of the little lambs. They are so precious, inquisitive and so in need of their mothers.  I watched a little lamb separated from her mother on the hills of Ireland, she just kept bleating and bleating for her mother, who by the way just happened to be down the hill calling the lamb to her.  But the lamb couldn’t see her, could only hear her and didn’t know which way to run.  No shepherd in sight, just my brother and I, no one to guide the baby back to the rest of the flock.  It took a little shooing, but we were able to get the little one settled down and she knew to sit still and wait for her mother. 

Many times I am like that little lamb.  Bleating for my Savior to come rescue me, to draw nearer to me in a way I can visibly see. It is so true that we often need that guiding voice to reel us back in when we stray off his path. 

Interestingly enough, the passage says that Jesus knows his sheep.  That means he knows each one of us personally.  He knows our thoughts before we think them, he knows what we’re about to do, he knows when we are going to step into harms way.  To sin or to be drawn away from his purposes for our lives.  I look back at my life and wonder how many times he called my name and I didn’t listen. 

How many times has his voice been drowned out by the noise I chose to fill my emptiness?  I will readily admit, at times I have chosen to fill my emptiness with activity, always moving, no time for sitting in silence. I even filled the space with music and television-sound of any sort would do. Then one day I had to stop. My chemotherapy treatments in 2004 exhausting me and giving me no choice but to stop and sit still.  I couldn’t keep filling the emptiness with activity and noise, I had to rest and be still.  It was in that moment, that I saw God in a new way.  I felt his presence around me and felt a gentle touch on my shoulder as he called my name.  Be still daughter and rest he said.  Rest in me, allow me to be your shepherd and care for you in new ways. (Psalm 46:10) He knew what I needed in that moment and I listened.

Are you filling your days with the noise of Christmas? Is it possible you are missing the voice of Jesus? Maybe, you don’t know Jesus in a personal way, but I have no doubt he is calling your name. Are you listening?