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He stood under an oak on the hillside, quietly watching, leaning on his beautifully carved crook, his cap pulled low over his eyes shielding them from the warm May sun. The pregnant fluffy ewes were bunched together, munching away on lush grass in the large paddock below him. He had been there for almost an hour, never moving, just standing quietly and watching. As I wondered at his concentration, several thoughts floated into my mind, as though carried on a soft spring breeze. God watching out for his children, Jesus watching his flock, reminding the disciples to ‘feed my sheep, care for my sheep.’ The Good Shepherd watches his flock He knows them and even calls them by name.
My husband, a good shepherd, knows his sheep by watching them, not crowding them, not demanding, just being there for them. He often quotes the Welsh poet, William Davies, as motivation for standing and staring.
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.”
As I continued to contemplate him watching his sheep he suddenly lifted his crook and moved off down the hill. I, also, hurried along to the paddock, seeing if he needed help. I remembered that, while on earth, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son of God can do nothing by himself, he can do only what he sees his Father doing.” God was at work among the ewes in the paddock and the shepherd, through his diligent standing and staring, saw the events happening and rushed to be near, if help was needed. I just followed the example of the shepherd.
Two young men, who were shepherds-in-training, saw my movement, followed the action and were there for the birthing of two sets of twin lambs. They watched as Ian moved slowly, speaking softly to the ewe, then inserting his hand into her, turning and straightening the lamb’s legs so they were coming out in the diving position. With that lamb delivered, the mama seemed more comfortable and the birth of the second twin happened fast, like a rocket, launching. We all laughed but the ewe turned her sheep eyes on us as if to say, “It’s not that funny.”
That evening as we gathered around the picnic table we enjoyed watching 20 lambs frolicking together. Racing each other up grassy hillocks or jumping on hay bales and tumbling down the other side, then suddenly stop, jump up and look for their moms. As we relished our live nature program, Guntis a shepherd trainee, asked Ian, “How did you know those lambs were about to be born this afternoon? Were you near the paddock and just jumped in?”
“No, better than that, I was doing the most important job a shepherd can do. Standing up on the hill, I could observe their movements. I know these sheep; I know when one is troubled. I saw these two ewes separate out from the flock, stand apart rocking back and forth, lie down and get up again, so I knew they were ready to lamb down. I went to them, you followed, and we were all there to help them, if they needed it.
I believe a shepherd’s number one priority is to take the time to stand and watch his sheep. Every good shepherd’s motto should be: Take time to be out, standing in your field, watching your flock."
Footnotes
i Leisure
By
William Henry Davies
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.”
www.davidpbrown.co.uk
ii John 5:19, Holy Bible, New International Version, Study Bible, Zondervan, 1985, 1992, 2002
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