Stuck Sheep and the Shepherd

Miles, Lance and I came home from somewhere in the evening and, as we got out of the car, I heard a lamb bleating.  The sound was faint but distinctive.   The sheep almost always talk to us when we come out the back door or stand in the back yard---they know we are the source of grain and they always want more---so hearing a sheep calling was not unusual.   But this was not a usual sheep call.   I recognized the difference in the tone and went down to the sheep corral to investigate.     As I walked the 100 meters from the driveway to the sheep pen, it became more and more obvious to me that something was wrong.

And something was wrong.  One of the lambs had her head stuck.   She’d poked her head in, through the woven wire, and was caught.   She struggled all the more wildly as I approached, fighting both the grate and me.    Finally, I was able to push her head down and through the wire square, releasing her.   The crying and struggling stopped as she ran to her mommy. 

Ah, the parallels between the sheep and the Shepherd.    Christ hears our cries, often when no one else does.   Christ recognizes our voices and comes to our aid, often when no one else does.  Christ rescues us from the things that trap us, even when we put ourselves in the trap.   And we often fight His efforts to rescue us, even when we have asked for His help. 

Baaaaa!

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