n e w c h u r c h l i f e : j u ly / au g u s t 2 0 1 7
I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is
in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)
When we notice some form of goodness missing from ourselves or other
people, hopefully we can see that missing goodness as if it were a missing
child, and feel compassion for the resulting pain, anger and fear in us or in
others because of it.
The shepherd is that part of us that can keep watch over our spiritual life
and notice when something is missing. But it’s also that part of us that doesn’t
condemn (in ourselves or in others) when there is something missing; it simply
seeks to bring that goodness back.
It’s that part of us that can search for something funny when it feels like
we or others have lost our sense of humor. It’s that part of us that can search
for something to feel grateful for, when we feel depressed. It’s that part of us
that can remind other people of their good qualities when they are feeling
hopeless about their life, or even when we are feeling hopeless about their
life. It’s that part of us that can remind children of what they like about their
sibling, without condemning them for the fight they’ve gotten into. It’s about
bringing the sheep back into our lives.
And it’s because the sheep belong in our flock. We are all born to be
angels. When a sheep goes missing from our flock, that’s not an indication
that it doesn’t belong in our life. We just have to re-find it. For example, when
we notice that we keep losing our
patience, we might start to think that
patience doesn’t belong in our flock.
Maybe I just can’t be a patient person.
But the shepherd in us is capable of
saying, “No, patience is something that
belongs in my flock. I’m going to try to
get it back.”
The Lord has given us the capacity
for these wonderful qualities of His,
and as much as He is our Shepherd,
we are also created in His image. The
Lord has given us the capability to
shepherd the goodness in our own
life. As He says: “And I will give you
shepherds according to My heart,
who will feed you with knowledge and
understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15).
Sometimes our shepherd has
to go on a long journey to find these
The shepherd is that
part of us that can keep
watch over our spiritual
life and notice when
something is missing.
But it’s also that part of
us that doesn’t condemn
(in ourselves or in
others) when there is
something missing; it
simply seeks to bring
that goodness back.
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