If you get the chance to go, sheep dog trials make a lovely day out plus there are sheep and dogs — hello!
At these trials, sheep dogs work in tandem with their human handlers to guide a group of skittish sheep into a pen while being timed. A good team works well with whistles, spoken commands and a shepherd’s crook but what we can’t see is the unspoken — body language, tone of voice and numberless hours of working together.
I have had sheep dog tendencies for some time now. A natural compulsion to pull people together, to communicate what I hope will be helpful to them and, when I have enough time and quiet, to sense what my “handler” (call it the Holy Spirit, call it my angel…) is working so hard to communicate to me. I’ve done this in my personal life, I’ve done it at my various jobs and I’ve done it in my church.
And here’s what’s great: all I have to do is ME! I am not required to become something else, be someone else, know more than I know. It’s God’s gift to me and I am eternally grateful.
