Day 18—Tuesday, March 10

Hebrews 13: 20-21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.

In the early years of our marriage, Fred and I lived in Denver. On weekends we would often drive north to Wyoming to visit his parents in their retirement home west of Laramie. From the Davis cabin it was an easy drive northwestward into the Snowy Range, situated within the Medicine Bow National Forest. We would head up into this high country for skiing in the winter and fishing in the summer. The landscape there is magnificent and majestic. The mountains, formed of hard, crystalline rock, had been carved and shaped by the movement of glaciers in the last ice age. Below the peaks, the land was sculpted into ridges and valleys, and dotted with many lakes that are filled by the melting snowpack each spring.

One day we hiked up to my favorite fishing spot on Crescent Lake. We had started out under blue skies and sunshine, but by afternoon there were ominous-looking clouds gathering overhead. We were catching trout from the lake’s clear, cold water when we were startled by an odd sound coming from the ridge off to our left. We turned to observe what looked like a river of “something” cresting the ridge and flowing downward toward our lake.

It was a huge flock of sheep, all moving as one mass. Prized for their wool, the sheep graze in the high country over the summer. They were trotting along together, keeping close to one another, and they were all talking! We estimated around 300 sheep, each with a unique voice. Some voices were high-pitched, most were in the mid-range, and others were deep bass. Striding alongside, and carrying a large staff, was the sheepherder. He waved to us across the lake, and we waved back. The man was accompanied by two canine companions, one by his side and the other on the far side of the flock. Together they managed to guide the woolly travelers downslope where they turned to continue on along the far shore of Crescent Lake.

We were amazed at the speed and coherence of the flock as they moved together, but we were spellbound by their voices. We speculated that the sheepherder could identify each individual animal by its voice. Reading the darkening sky, he was moving the flock away from the danger of rockfalls just below the peaks to the safety of green pastures in the valley below, protected by the ridge.

In many Bible passages Jesus is referred to as the good shepherd. He knows our different “voices”, knows our individual strengths and weaknesses. He calls us, as his flock, to nurture our faith, to be attentive in our worship and fortified in our fellowship. If we humbly allow Jesus to be our guide for navigating through this life, we will be equipped for working out the will of God and fulfilling our highest calling on Earth.

Prayer: God of peace that passes all understanding, with gratitude we embrace the wonder and wildness of your Creation; help us also to discern the wisdom and warnings of your Word. Guide us to seek moments of quietude and stillness so that we might hear your voice as you empower us to do your will. Amen.

-Sharon Stinnette