About two years ago, my husband and I were able to take a long-awaited trip to Ireland. My maternal grandfather was of Irish descent and my maternal grandmother of Scottish descent, so one can imagine my joy of being able to travel to Ireland to view the land from which many of my ancestors originated.
The land in Ireland reminded me so much of the land I had experienced on the farms of my family in Hamblen and Hawkins county. Rolling hills, rocky terrain, and lush meadows coupled with a deep appreciation and love for land and labor were evident throughout the countryside. I understood why many of those who fled Ireland to avoid starvation had settled into the Appalachian hills of East Tennessee, for it reminded them of their Irish home. I also came to know why I love Celtic music and dance and to see how evidences of them in mountain music and dance (clogging) still exist today. I would also see how much family has been valued in the Irish culture and how the stoicism and a penchant for hard work often evident in my relatives found its source from the deep roots of this heritage. However, amidst all this that seemed familiar, I would also come to understand that which before had seemed simply cute and cuddly was so much more than that as I met the sheep.
Our Irish tour circled the entire country and whether we were in the countryside or in the more metropolitan areas of Dublin, Belfast, or Galway we encountered sheep along the journey. They were everywhere. They were on farms, munching happily away in fields separated by rock fences or roaming the countryside stopping along any path they had made for themselves. Frequently our tour bus would come to a stop or a crawl as it inched past sheep laying alongside the roadway – or
on
the roadway, each bearing some sign or mark of the farmer who owned them. (It was interesting that the Pope had recently visited Ireland and many farms had dyed their sheep yellow – the Papal color—in celebration of his visit!) Unless prodded the sheep did not care to move very quickly, quite content to watch as the world went by.
I also came to appreciate the many different types of sheep. Who knew there were so many! Our tour stopped to watch a demonstration of how a sheep owner trained his sheep dogs to herd the sheep to a common paddock. Before doing so however, the sheep owner had a special way to communicate with the various sheep such as a particular whistle or sound, and when he did so different sheep would come and stand beside him. The owner would then describe each sheep – their type, their origin, their special characteristics and their name. While I viewed the shepherd on our tour with a distant fondness and curiosity, the sheep owner knew his sheep up close and personal. It was fascinating and upon listening and seeing how the owner loved and cared for his sheep, suddenly the fullness of Scripture came to life.
Scripture such as the 23
rd
Psalm that speaks of the Lord being the shepherd of His sheep, and the beautiful passages from John 10 which remind us that Jesus is the good shepherd and He knows his sheep and they know Him. These Scriptures speak of the Lord’s care and safekeeping of His flock, his intimate knowledge of them, and the mutual relationship between shepherd and sheep.
As I watched and listened to the owner call his sheep, nuzzle them, and speak of how each were distinguished – not just a flock of sheep to him, each individual and unique--the shepherd’s love was apparent. I am reminded again of how Christ, our Shepherd, knows us too – individually and uniquely. He knows when we need healing balm to our spirits, when we need his protection when scared or in danger, and when we need his prodding when we are going in the wrong direction or to dangerous places. But like the sheep, we too must learn to listen for the master’s voice and to ultimately trust that the Shepherd has our best interest and to heed His words.
In these days and times of the darkness and the unknown before us, we continue to celebrate that the Lord IS our shepherd who not only leads and guides us, but also holds us safely in His arms. May we continue to find strength and comfort in the ancient promise that he knows us individually by name and may His name be ever upon our lips.
I invite you to pause and meditate today upon Psalm 23, which many have memorized from childhood, sung and available through
this link
.
May the words of this ancient song bring you comfort and peace.
