I am that sensitive ewe
that cries out what she sees
lurking by the precipice,
then cowers in the shade,
hiding out, because rams
turn to push her aside
and other ewes grimace
with disdain and shock.
Did I not see that danger?
Am I really that near-sighted?
I struggle along, at the edge.
But there are others with me:
my special mate and certain friends.
We move on with the flock
but carefully go silent.
Some think our tears are dew drops.
But as I rise, next morning,
I hear the Shepherd call my name.
He has not left us lonely.
His staff reminds me: he alone
can guide me and protect me.
No one but him truly knows
what lurks behind thorn bushes,
or which cliff edges crumble.
I breathe out. Breathe in. Calmed.[1]
When we walked through our beloved village, Tiepogovogo, during our years in Côte d’Ivoire, I loved watching the sheep who were at home there. They sometimes just searched for shade under a tree or next to a hut, sometimes they were canvassing the dirt for food. It was when they needed to go out to find good pasture that they were shepherded, often by a young teen who would need to keep them away from pitfalls like wandering into the road or taking off alone. I was reminded of how we are compared to sheep in the Bible. We need our Good Shepherd’s care or we get into trouble.
When I was going through a situation where I had called out warnings but was treated as irrelevant, I landed on Isaiah 40 where it is underlined that the Shepherd watches over the most vulnerable sheep in his flock with special care: the little ones, and their mothers who feel responsibility for them.
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isa. 40:11 NIV)
Maybe you feel responsible for someone who needs care, whether or not you are a parent or caregiver or friend. Or maybe you are responsible for the success of a project. The weight can be heavy. And there are those moments when we feel like that ewe at the edge of a cliff where a misstep could lead to a terrible fall.
Are you caught in a situation where you feel danger is lurking for people you love, or for your community, or your nation? Do you sometimes feel rejected by those very people because you see a situation from a different point of view? In these days, especially in this political season, that actually seems to be quite common.
The Good Shepherd knows when his sheep need special attention. Sometimes it’s the young ones that can’t keep up with the others. Sometimes it’s the mom, the ewe, that is trying to care for her baby while the flock is moving on ahead. Whoever needs special attention is immediately cared for by him..
As that chapter in Isaiah moves on, the exclusive greatness of our God is described. It elevates the picture of the Shepherd to the King of the Universe who is aware of all that is happening and ultimately in charge. Ponder these verses, all the way to the end, and find your hope in him, the loving all-knowing God who gives his people strength when times are rough.
22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isa. 40:22-29 NIV)
[1] “I Am That Ewe” is one of the poems published in the book When He Whispers: Learning to Listen on the Journey.” (available on Amazon and Christianbook.com).
