In the past month the Lord has given me a new view of what it means for Him to be my shepherd. Each morning as we work on the road dozens of Ethiopians pass us, all headed to market. One morning we were about to wrap up and there were two little boys walking a flock of sheep the other direction. A large group of sheep ran up and surrounded us as they passed through and the boys who were shepherding them followed behind. One of the boys had a sheep in his hands that he was carrying. Excitedly, I ran up and motioned, asking him if I could hold the sheep, and he let me! All of the other sheep stopped walking, waiting for the boys before they continued down the path. I love the perspective that this story gives. Our Father never leaves us. He is always right there guiding us along the way, and ready to pick us up and carry us when we become weary or tired. Later in the week, Kayla and I were hiking at the reforestation site and came upon a huge herd of cattle, sheep and goats, all being led by a group of children. As we hiked up, the herd walked along with us but there was one mountain goat stuck on the edge of this cliff on the mountain. There were trees blocking his path and it just sat there calling out, waiting for someone to come guide it along the way. The Lord will carry us and he will guide us. We need only to be still and gentle in our response. He cares so much that if we fall behind or seem stuck, He is willing to seek us out and come find us. What a good shepherd He is.
