Abba, You permitted a “lamb-story” during these last few days. Orphaned twins, mother dead a month ago, being tended by the good shepherd, David. He dug into their infected hoofs with a sharp knife, gutting out a sharp grass spike that was causing them to limp. Ouch. He administered an antiseptic spray and left them in the small fold outside our windows. Twice wounded--abandonment and infection--they wafted between wailing and snoozing… for three days. Yesterday, he opened the gate for them to enter the big pasture – just the two of them there. They huddled close against the gate, pressing for the protected walls from which they’d just been given freedom. Wailing, maaaahhh and baaaahhh, falling off the sleep.
Today, they are venturing farther out in the field, still just the two of them, grazing with no limping. Abba and Yeshua, You also shepherd me, similarly scraping out my emotional, physical, and mental infections, sparing no tactics in order that I may be healed in the Name of Jesus. Thank You for Your generous gentleness as You create a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Thank You, Gentle Shepherd, for Your patience to the little lamb who I am, for giving me the time to change. Thank You for being so kind! I am loved into becoming whole.
Father! Abba! You are my God! I thank You for locating me wherever I am—centered, off the path, frightened and off the path, trusting or continuing to trust. I love You and I worship You. Thank You, Jesus. You are such a loyal Son to Your Father and I love that You are loyal!
It is not in your plan for me to worry! Worry is a form of unbelief. If I am in charge of my life I have good cause to worry. But I thank you that you are my Good Shepherd. You parent me. You clean out my infections. I can bleat, wail, sleep--and you remain faithful to me.
I’m so grateful that You seek Him, lift Him up, and have shown Who He is to me … to us. You are so Kind! You share all He’s given to You… You hold nothing back! You are awesome. Thank You for welcoming me – all the time. Thank You that You creatively grow me by leading me along paths where I have the freedom to choose – I have the freedom to choose to see “the burning bush” as Moses did with You in Exodus 3… or to see it later if that’s the best I can do… but that when I see the “burning bush” You notice me seeing and turning toward it. How grateful I am that You recognize each nuance! As soon as I move to notice, You notice back. You respond, losing no time, missing no moment to speak and have relationship with me. That’s huge, Abba; simply huge. You are so Kind and Purposeful!
Thank You for calling me: my daughter! I’m safe in being Your daughter. In the midst of all the leavings: California, family, friends, my country the USA; and now in less than three months, we will leave the United Kingdom and the friends with whom we’ve become family in The Lake District. This is huge and feels overwhelming. Thank You for being the still point in the middle of life-changing circumstances.
