Lamb

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way our Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." Matthew 18:12-14 Lambs are the sweetest animals. They have a natural innocence that is endearing. Did you know Dear Reader, that little lambs leap in the air for no other reason than pure vertical delight and bleating joy? Sheep flock together and their little lambs follow, springing gleefully as they go. The Bible verse quoted is a parable about Gods children and His unwillingness to let even one lost soul wander away without going after, retrieving and returning the child to the safety of the fold, the flock. The ninety-nine are not complete without the one-hundredth, the missing lamb. Why would one wander away? What is the appeal and what is over there that can't be had, right here? Think of the world and its offerings, Dear One. The proverbial grass is always greener on the other side. God sees His children wander away all of the time and He keeps a close watch on them, allowing the distance between Him and them, permitting the roaming, the straying away. It, the whole world, is His pasture after all and there is no where for them, for us to go, that He does not know about. If He wanted to, He could hedge the sheep in, electric fence the property or create massive jagged boulder boundaries to imprison them, contain them despite their desire to wander. This is not The Way, His Way. Look at the heart of God, The Father in the parable. He owns the sheep, allows each the ability to wander if they so choose. He has counted and notices when even one little lamb has left the fold. He is willing to go after that one precious sweet sheep, the little one that does not know what he has left behind to wander alone in the wilderness, with wolves and other predators waiting to pounce and make a meal of him. He has roamed wild and free but no matter how far He has travelled, he is and always will be, a part of the flock. God will peacefully, patiently, persistently pursue the lamb until the lamb hears His Voice, calling him to return home. Are you a lost little lamb? Can you hear Him, The Good Shepherd as He calls out to you by name? Perhaps you are one of the ninety-nine who await the return of one of your flock, a little one who has wandered away...your Father in heaven is not willing that you, or any of these little ones should be lost. Take hope, Dear One. He sees the lost and knows the path that must be taken to return home and He is willing to guide them back to Him. One last thing to ponder is the verse that precedes the one quoted above, Matthew 18:10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." Make of this what you will. What I know is that God The Father is watching and so are His heavenly angelic host. We are not alone, The Good Shepherd is ever present.