Do you remember when you were little and you would climb up into the lap of a loving adult when you wanted reassurance or comfort?
When things are hard and chaotic,
Do you ever wish you could go back in time and be held like a child again?
God gives us many pictures of himself that help us relate to him.
In one of these,
He calls himself a good shepherd.
And if we are creative,
We can truly access the type of comfort we desire from our loving God.
Using an analogy from Psalm 23 and Matthew 18,
I invite you to join me as we do just that.
The afternoon sky is blue and the air is filled with springtime warmth.
Cherry blossoms dot the ground like a late snow and sweeten the air.
Green shoots and sprouts are everywhere,
Bursting with life.
You are unable to fully enjoy the beauty around you though,
Because you have been stuck here for too long.
You wriggle again but only seem to bury yourself deeper into the brambles.
You have already eaten all of the berries you could reach,
And now all that remains are the thorns.
Your heavy fleece coat is not helping at the moment.
It seems to have an affinity for getting caught.
You are fully aware that you should not be here,
That you were told not to come to this area of the pasture.
You didn't mean to wander off,
It just happened.
And the berries looked so good.
All of the other sheep are out of sight and have been for hours.
You are lonely,
Thirsty,
And afraid.
Will he find you this time?
You hear a noise and look up,
But it is only a crow,
And he begins scolding you for having the audacity to eat his berries.
A bleat escapes from your mouth.
After some time you hear another noise,
And this time it is a familiar one.
His voice calls out and you see his cloak emerging over the hillside.
He is holding his tall curved staff and shouting out your name,
Scanning the landscape.
Hope floods your heart and you let out your loudest,
BAAA!
He turns toward you looking in your direction.
You bleat again and recognition registers on his face.
He begins to run toward you.
Oh,
It feels so good to see your shepherd.
Relief washes over you with a thread of regret.
He says your name again,
This time quietly,
Fondly.
He is happy and relieved to see you.
The shepherd gently begins to work his way into the brambles and work the brambles out of your wool.
He doesn't scold.
He is patient even when the thorns scratch his hands.
Don't try to obey his command to hold still as the moments drag on.
Finally,
He scoops you up into his strong arms and makes his way out of the bushes.
He nuzzles your face with his and whispers how glad he is to see you.
The shepherd carries you up over the hill and down the other side.
The grass is much thicker and greener here and you can hear a stream gurgling and bubbling in the distance.
Other sheep from the flock are scattered across the pasture.
The shepherd leads you down to the tree-lined water and motions for you to drink.
You notice the scrapes on his hand and lick apologetically at them with your tongue.
He smiles forgiveness and you turn to draw in this sweet,
Refreshing liquid,
Letting it splash your face and nose.
You can feel the cool satisfaction flowing into your body,
Quenching your thirst,
Restoring your soul.
You let out a contented sigh.
The shepherd pulls you into his arms once more and you can hear and feel his heartbeat.
It is good to be rescued,
To be held.
He carries you to the shade underneath a tree,
Sits down and leans against the smooth trunk.
As you curl up in the cool green grass next to him,
He spreads his cloak over your face and you breathe in its earthy,
Sweaty odor.
A feeling of safety and security spreads over you.
You blink at the near darkness,
Noticing the way the light pokes through the fibers of his garment.
You close your eyes and rest peacefully,
Knowing that his protection covers you completely.
You are safe now.
You have everything that you need.
When you feel overwhelmed or afraid,
Can you imagine your shepherd stretching out his cloak over you?
Can you hear him calling out your name when you feel stuck or isolated?
Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd in chapter 10 of the book of John.
This is more than just a title.
He sacrificed everything to be your shepherd and to be able to rescue you.
What an incredible gift.
