Father's Heart Blog

Yes this may seem to be a very strange title, though hopefully you will get the analogy loud and clear. On a jog yesterday with my dog Zack down the country lane by our house.

I heard some loud bleating and saw a sheep by its self its body wedged into the metal feeder that had hay in it. No doubt the sheep was trying to reach in to get an even tastier piece of hay – just out of reach. And I now wonder why they were there by themselves with all the other sheep in the adjoining field. I couldn’t quite see if the two fields were connected with an open fence – had this sheep escaped into another field and got themselves stuck in a feeder that wasn’t intended for them? Or had they separated themselves from the flock and gone back for more?

Either way when sheep isolate themselves from others good doesn’t tend to follow. The same is true for us God’s children – who in the Bible He often refers to as sheep.

We must move on to the thought (which you’ve probably already had) of why didn’t you do something? I think this even more now than I did at the time. After all every forefather of mine was a farmer I wouldn’t of been the first Smallridge man to of bumped a sheep out of a compromising position. I recall in my mind stories my Dad has told me of rescuing neighbours sheep. So why didn’t I?

At the time, my main concern was that if the farmer who didn’t live far from the field came and saw me in his field – he would be less than pleased. I also had concern I had my Dog with me, which could of agitated the sheep or aggrieved a farmer, but I could of tied the dog up. I naively also thought that other sheep would or should come and give him a nudge (but upon reflection I don’t think that is the nature of sheep)

But I think the overriding thought was that the farmer who’s responsibility this sheep was – should hear the cries of his sheep and come and rescue him and no doubt would before the sun went down and why should I get the potential kicking from the alarmed sheep and not him.

The reality is that for any suffering / wrong we see, we should have a desire automatically to alleviate it, but the realisation of responsibility is often lacking. From this I take that I should pray and be prepared to be a Shepard and do good whenever I see an opportunity. It is better to apologise for breaking through a hedge after doing good than to walk on and think that someone else will do it or think they can get out of that mess themselves! We are more like God the great Shepard when we step up and do good – no matter the consequences.

p.s The pic I used – I did not take my self! I didn’t break into the field – the pic I found on the net