I am a collector of sheep. I have them all over my house. I just love these docile creatures.
When I lived in St. Louis, one of my favorite shops was called Three French Hens. In the spring, the shop was filled with flowers, rabbits, chicks, and sheep. It was always a welcome sight!
I have a lot in common with sheep. Sheep are followers, and so am I. Looking back on my 43 years on this planet, I have to laugh at the trends I followed. As a girl, I followed Little House on the Prairie. I so wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder! As a teen, I followed fashion trends and rock music. As a young adult, I followed popular culture. Yes, I had Rachel hair. Yes, I read Oprah books. Yes, I once owned mauve furniture.
It pains me to think of some of the stupid things I followed.
The world view tells us to be a leader. Take charge! Innovate! Be the trend setter!
And what does the Christian view tell us? Serve. Humble yourself. Follow. But don't follow the world. It will lead you astray every time.
Jesus said this about the Good Shepherd:
"The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:3-4
Now that I am firm in my forties, I'm not such a trend follower any more. I know myslef and I know what is "me" and what is not "me". But most importantly, I know who I'm folllowing. And when in doubt, I listen for my shepherd's voice. He never leads me astray.
What an awesome post! I always find such inspiration and love reading your blog. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMary Rose, I met a woman in the airport last week who was a shepherd. Yes, she quit a high-stress job to tend sheep here in Northern Virginia. Seems fitting. We have a LOT of lost sheep and black sheep here near Washington DC.
ReplyDeleteI really like your ATC for "follow"! I appreciate all that you shared from your journal as well. Thank you!...Nancy :o)
ReplyDeleteThis post is a nice read! Glad I found you.
ReplyDeleteLoved you post. Yes, it is true that the world tells us in order to be good leaders we need to be innovative, trend setters...etc... NOT TRUE in God's eyes. We need to be servants, and be humble. God is really showing me this... and I was so blessed to read that in your blog. I will be following you, to see what other words of wisdom you have... God Bless You
ReplyDelete