Branches and Trees

Musings on Marriage

Tag: Sheep

Peace in the Storm

June 29, 2023 / / 0 Comments

As we were driving to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, enjoying the summer-time greenery of the pastures, these lines from Psalm 23 came to mind.  They come from a poem written thousands of years ago by King David, probably remembering his younger days as a shepherd caring for his father’s sheep.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want

He makes me lie down in green pastures….

As you may remember, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, which means we are compared to sheep in a metaphorical sense.  Being equated to sheep is not necessarily a compliment because sheep are kinda stupid, they quickly stray, are dependent on others and easily frightened.

In order for sheep to lie down in peace they have need of a few important requirements.  The first one is freedom from fear.  Because sheep have a herd mentality, they are skittish and easily agitated.  If even a little jack-rabbit hops from behind a bush and one startled sheep runs in fright, it can cause the entire flock to bolt into a stampede –the rest not even looking to see what caused the ruckus. 

We too are easily carried away by fear if someone speaks terror or dread – whether it be true or false, real or imagined.  It’s so easy to run with the herd, getting caught up in a mob mentality, simply reacting to the running of those around us.

Life is hazardous, unpredictable; no one knows what fears and anxieties any moment will bring.  Usually it is the unexpected and unknown, or the fear of the unknown that throw us into a panic.  Often our first impulse is to run from the harsh complexities of life – just like the sheep.

But if we look up, we’ll see our Good Shepherd waiting for us to turn to Him, desiring that we rest and not run.  Admitting we cannot do life well on our own, he brings peace, calm and serenity – even in the midst of a terrible, horrible, no-good very bad day.

As I grow older, I am finally learning that no amount of worry, control or angst ever helped any problem I had.  It only caused fear and dread.  For years I tried to solve problems on my own, figure out and rely on my own wisdom, but rarely experienced the peace Jesus promised.

Why do we always think we can change people or control our circumstances?

Why is it so difficult to rest, to trust God to do his work in his time?

When will we ever give up and relinquish our ambitions to do God’s work for him?

Only when we choose to rest.

Another source of fear from which a shepherd delivers his sheep is rivalry, cruel competition and tension within the flock.  In the animal kingdom there is an established order of dominance, better known as a pecking order with chickens, a horning order with cattle, and a butting order among sheep. 

Usually a domineering, arrogant old ewe will be the boss of a flock.  She maintains her position by butting and driving other ewes or lambs away from the best grazing.  Then in turn they will use the same tactics of butting and shoving around those who are lower than they on the totem pole.

When there’s friction in the flock, the sheep cannot lie down in rest because they always have to be standing up to defend their rights and be on the lookout for safety.  They need to constantly be on alert, never able to let down their guard for fear of losing out on food and safety. 

But as past-shepherd Phillip Keller says,

…one point that always interested me very much was that whenever I came into view and my presence attracted their attention, the sheep quickly forgot their foolish rivalries and stopped their fighting.  The shepherd’s presence made all the difference in their behavior.

Somehow, when the guy in charge, on a much higher status than those rude sheep, comes on the scene, they forget the silly scuffling and struggle for status and lie down.  Contentment and peace within the flock ensues. 

How much that scene sounds like us humans.  We try to appear as if we have it all together, put on that toothy smile and strike a confident pose, yet still we feel the need to prove ourselves – to others as well as to us.  But when we keep our eyes on our Good Shepherd, we know we are on even ground with everyone else, that without the grace of God we would be lost – a ship without a rudder, the proverbial hamster on a wheel going round and round yet arriving nowhere.

When my eyes are on my Master, they are not on those around me.

This is the place of peace, says Keller.

Jesus is so kind, so merciful to make us lie down in green pastures.  On our own we would never do it because we’re too busy doing stuff.  It’s only when we lie down and rest, trust him for tomorrow, and give thanks for what he is doing today, that we are content being in the silence of his presence. I have laid in green pastures more than I would like, but looking back I see it was only in this quiet, surrendered, helpless pose that He was able to get my attention on Him and off myself.

Lie down, look at your Shepherd and be at rest.

Lie Down and Rest

June 6, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Dear Daughters,

We arrived in Michigan a week ago, traveling four days from our Southern Idaho dwelling.  Everything here is green, all shades of beautiful lush greens – millions of trees, thick dark grass, luxurious rolling pastures.  As we were driving up U.S. 31 enjoying the spring-time greenery I thought of this verse from Psalm 23,

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

As you remember, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, which means we are compared to sheep in a metaphorical sense.  Being equated to sheep is not necessarily a compliment because sheep are kinda stupid, they quickly stray, are quite dependent on others and easily frightened.

In order for sheep to lie down in peace they have need of a few important requirements.  The first one is freedom from fear.  Because sheep have a herd mentality, they are skittish and easily agitated.  If even a little jack-rabbit hops from behind a bush and one startled sheep runs in fright, it can cause the entire flock to bolt into a stampede –the rest not even looking to see what caused the ruckus. 

We too are easily carried away by fear if someone speaks terror or dread – whether it be true or false, real or imagined.  It’s so easy to run with the herd, getting caught up in a mob mentality, simply reacting to the running of those around us.

Life is hazardous, unpredictable; no one knows what fears and anxieties any moment will bring.  Usually it is the unexpected and unknown that throw us into a panic.  Often our first impulse is to run from the harsh complexities of life – just like the sheep.

But if we look up, we’ll see our Good Shepherd waiting for us to turn to Him, desiring that we rest and not run.  Admitting we cannot do life well on our own, he brings peace, calm and serenity – even in the midst of a terrible, horrible, no-good very bad day.

As I grow older, I am finally learning that no amount of worry, control or angst ever helped any problem I had.  It only caused fear and dread.  For years I tried to solve problems on my own, figure out and rely on my own wisdom, but rarely experienced the peace Jesus promised.

Why do we always think we can change people and our circumstances? Why is it so difficult to rest, to trust God to do his work in his time? When will we ever give up and relinquish our ambitions to do God’s work for him?

Only when we choose to rest.

Another source of fear from which a shepherd delivers his sheep is rivalry, cruel competition and tension within the flock.  In the animal kingdom there is an established order of dominance, better known as a pecking order with chickens, a horning order with cattle, and a butting order among sheep. 

Usually a domineering, arrogant old ewe will be the boss of a flock.  She maintains her position by butting and driving other ewes or lambs away from the best grazing.  Then in turn they will use the same tactics of butting and shoving around those who are lower than they on the totem pole.

Remember those days at school when kids played King of the Mountain?  The game is probably outlawed by now, but I remember well when some strong kids would go up on a hill, others who were stronger would climb up, trying to shove and push them out of the way…

Well, I was driving around a few weeks ago and I saw the cattle version of the game, only in dairy corals it becomes Queen of the Manure Pile. 

When there’s friction in the flock, the sheep cannot lie down in rest because they always have to be standing up to defend their rights and be on the lookout for safety.  They feel the need to constantly be on alert, never able to let down their guard for fear of losing out on food and safety. 

But as past-shepherd Phillip Keller says,

…one point that always interested me very much was that whenever I came into view and my presence attracted their attention, the sheep quickly forgot their foolish rivalries and stopped their fighting.  The shepherd’s presence made all the difference in their behavior.

Somehow, when the guy in charge, on a much higher status than the sheep, comes on the scene, they forget the silly scuffling and struggle for status and lie down.  Contentment and peace within the flock ensue. 

How much that scene sounds like us humans.  We try to appear as if we have it all together, put on that toothy smile and strike a confident pose, yet still we feel the need to prove ourselves – to others as well as to us.  But when we keep our eyes on our Good Shepherd, we know we are on even ground with everyone else, that without the grace of God we would be lost – a ship without a rudder, the proverbial hamster on a wheel going round and round yet arriving nowhere.

When my eyes are on my Master, they are not on those around me. This is the place of peace, says Keller.

Jesus is so kind, so merciful to make us lie down in green pastures.  On our own we would never do it because we’re too busy doing stuff.  It’s only when we lie down and rest, trust him for tomorrow, and give thanks for what he is doing today, that we are content being in the silence of his presence.I have laid in green pastures more than I would like, but looking back I see it was only in this quiet, surrendered, helpless pose that He was able to get my attention on Him and off myself.

Lie down, look at your Shepherd and be at rest.

Love, Mom

Sheep and Shepherds

February 28, 2019 / / 4 Comments

February is lambing season here in Idaho. The other day I stopped to walk a fence line, part of a pen housing hundreds of them, hoping to take some pictures.  I climbed out of the car and suddenly heard a cacophony of bleating, baa-ing and other unintelligible sheep sounds from the flock.  I had no idea they were so noisy, but I guess when sheep are hungry they make a lot of racket. 

Interestingly, I’ve been reading A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, written by a former shepherd. The author, Phillip Keller, grew up in East Africa, surrounded by simple native herders, similar to their counterparts in the Middle East.  As a young man he made his own livelihood for eight years as a sheep owner and rancher, so he had great knowledge of the habits and behavior of sheep.  Although Keller died 20 years ago, for decades he traveled the world as a nature photographer and agronomist – an expert in soil management and crop production.

Psalm 23 has always been a favorite of mine, I memorized it while still a child and have never forgotten the words.  I used to think it was just a quaint quiet poem, but after reading Keller’s book plus living half a century myself and meditating on those words, it has become a bedrock of my life.

The Lord is my Shepherd.  A simple sentence of just five words, yet

It immediately implies a profound yet practical working relationship between a human being and his Maker.  It links a lump of common clay to divine destiny – it means a mere mortal becomes the cherished object of divine diligence. – Phillip Keller

That in itself seems almost too good to be true.  Our secular scientists and philosophers have repeatedly told us that we are alone and on our own in this universe.  But this five-word sentence tells us that we matter, we are not an accident, we have worth and immense value. 

It’s interesting that we as human beings are referred to as sheep many times in the Bible.  We could have been likened to dogs, rabbits, birds, lions or any other creature, but Jesus calls himself our shepherd, which infers we are like sheep.  Unfortunately, sheep are not known for their brains or their bravery – maybe in part because they have no fighting skills.  They are one of the few animals in the world who cannot defend themselves.   They have no claws, no warring teeth, they can neither jump high nor fly away.  Their only defense is to flee.   They are skittish, easily frightened and tend to wander away if the shepherd doesn’t pay careful attention to them. 

Because there are many kinds of shepherds there are many kinds of sheep.  Some shepherds are gentle, kind, selfless and brave in their devotion to their flock and their care is reflected in the health and well-being of the sheep.  The Lord claims to be the Good Shepherd.  He bestows on us value, dignity and care. 

There are other shepherds who claim to be good, but the sheep of those shepherds are usually striving, anxious, trying to find their own way because they can’t trust their shepherd to care enough to stay around, treat them with respect or give them the attention they need.

Recently I ordered a new pair of glasses.  When I went to pick them up I tried them on, as one always does.  But when I tried to read that boring information card, things were a little blurry.  I thought perhaps my eyes were just tired, so I took them home.  But when I got home I tried them again and words were still fuzzy and indistinct.  So I put them on upside-down and voila! Everything was clear.  I took them back to the store and told them what I suspected.  They used their little gizmo to test the lenses, then told me that indeed they had been installed opposite of what they should have been.  Since one of my eyes is 2.0, and the other 2.5, each eye had an improper lens. Now with the lenses in their proper places, I can read with ease and clarity.

Sometimes we see life through improper lenses.  If we see life through the lens of our Good Shepherd, we will be content with whatever comes our way, fighting the good fight of faith, knowing that ultimately God will use all things, good and bad, for our growth and well-being.  We can trust him.

But if we see God through the improper lens, showing him as a bad or nonexistent Shepherd – that he is harsh, demanding, always disappointed in us and quick to anger – we will be fearful, feel abandoned, and hopeless.  Through this lens he is not trustworthy.  Although these are lies, we perceive them as truth.

Look through the true lens of the Good Shepherd, the Lord who made heaven and earth.  Even when we as sheep are prone to wander, sometimes a little smelly and complaining, he remains the same – Good.

Love, Mom

Clay, Sheep, Servants……

May 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Dear Daughters,

Now that I have written twice about the metaphor of the Potter (God) and us (the clay), I became somewhat concerned about using that image only.  If we are just a mute, senseless piece of clay, it doesn’t sound terribly intriguing to trust our lives to a God who is only there to shape us into whatever He wants.

Potter

A few weeks ago I remembered a section in The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge, speaking about the many different ways in which God relates to us:

The Scriptures employ a wide scale of metaphors to capture the many facts of our relationship with God.  If you consider them in a sort of ascending order, there is a noticeable and breathtaking progression.SacredRomance (2)

At the bottom of the totem pole there is the image of God as the Potter and we the clay.  But that picture gives us as pots no communication, no ability to ask questions, express emotions or even have an opinion.  (Isaiah 64:8)

Mercifully, there are other comparisons in the Bible portraying the relationship between God and us as his created beings.  Moving up from the Potter and the clay is the image of The Good Shepherd. (Psalm 23) Because we are pictured as the sheep and Jesus the Shepherd, both beings are now at least living, and the image is one of the Shepherd keeping us safe, holding us in his arms, keeping away wolves and other predators.  It is comforting yet still not complete.

Sheep (2)

Then there is the description where we are servants of God. (Matthew 25:21) Somehow many of us take on that role quickly and easily.  God tells us what to do and we obey, swiftly and without discussion.  Often we do and do and do, anything and everything that needs to be done – for the needy, for the hurting, for our families or the committees at church.  The focus is on doing work, and doing it well.  It too is a good image, yet incomplete.  Servants are valuable but are not able to get too close to the Master.  Yet many of us get stuck at this point.

Thankfully, God also calls us his children, and He our heavenly Father. (1 John 3:1) Children have a lot more intimacy with their parents than clay does with potters or shepherds with their sheep.  They also have a lot more freedom than servants.  Children can come into the house at any time, be a little annoying and misbehave, yet still be loved.

But even in the best parent-child relationship there is still something missing.  If we continue searching out our relationship with God, we amazingly find that Jesus calls us His friends.Kari (17)

…photo by Kari Matthews

With you, my daughters, we have progressed from the mother-daughter relationship to one of friendship.  I count you among my most precious friends.  Yes, there is still the fact that I am your mother, and you my daughters but we have relationships that are honest, open and vulnerable.

I count it an incredible miracle that Jesus calls us His friends. (John 15:15) Many people in the world mock the fact it is possible that the Creator of the universe would converse with people, or that He even cares.  But the Bible tells us it is so, and I call Him my very best friend.

Yet, there is one other level the Bible speaks of – that we are God’s beloved. (Song of Songs 7:10) He is simply crazy about you and I. There are some dark, confusing days when I still struggle to believe, yet I know it’s true.  How He longs for us to talk to Him, to trust Him with our most difficult parts of life.  He loves to hear our honest hearts, our raw and aching emotions, our deepest joys.Darkblossoms

Our husbands are also our beloved, but they simply cannot be there for us all the time.  They are not capable of dealing with or understanding our inmost longings, desires, and joys.  We need our Creator who knows us better than we know ourselves, who calls us His beloved, to give us the confidence that we need so that we too can love as He does.

How I rejoice in the fact that day or night, He is there. Yes, He is shaping me like a potter shapes His clay.  Indeed, He protects me like a shepherd does his sheep.  I am His servant, His child and His friend, but best of all I am God’s beloved.

And so are you….

So, hold on loosely to this life.  There will be dark times, anguish, disappointments and times of perplexity.  But there will also be hope for the future, peace during turbulent  happenings – all because you are God’s beloved.

In this we can all greatly rejoice.

Love, Mom

 

 

 

 

 

 

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