...Then he says to the rest of the sheep: 'Come along, eat of this. You are well and hearty. Now, what is the matter with you? O, now, you want to be loved.' And he has to pet and love him. Some sheep are like some people; you can't do anything with them unless you are loving and kissing them all the time. 'You know I love you. Now I will feed the rest of the sheep.
'...Now, come here, you poor old sheep, there is a piece for you. Just eat a piece for my sake. And now, you toothless one, come here, open your mouth, and I will help you.' And O, what patience and endurance is required of a feeder. If you take the word 'endurance' in the Bible you will get a better idea of what it means to endure to the end. A shepherd has to have the greatest endurance, especially at this time, when he has to feed his sheep. If he scolds them they get frightened and won't eat, and then they die. Some of them are so stubborn that you want to hit them with a club, but you have to be patient with them.
He comes to a sheep and touches him on the head, and some sheep don't like to have anybody pat them on the head. So he runs his hand down its back until he finds a place where the sheep likes it, and you will see the sheep put his head down to be patted. So he finds out the peculiarities and characteristics of each, and in that way he wins them all to him..., and he learns...how to feed the sheep, ...and has a word of comfort for them."
(Mtford 170-181)
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Because of trials that few ever knew about, I have felt particularly prickly and contentious at times in my life. The sure and loving touch of the Good Shepherd has led me through those dark passages and brought me to His green pastures where I could feel loved and secure. How clearly Lydia Mountford understood this tender care. Donna recognizes treasures when she sees them. God bless you both for sharing these insights.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks for all the sheep and sherpherd insights! Thanks for all the posts you do, they have helped me out so much. It is very very generous that you share these thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHi! What book is this from? I would love to read more of it!
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