Even as a child, I was told if I could not go to sleep
to count sheep.
I learned how to count sheep from the cartoons I used to watch. There used to always be at
least one character in the cartoon who could not go to sleep and that character always
would count sheep. There would be a little dream balloon above his head so we could see
wha t was going through his mind. And there would be this little cute, white fluffy
creatures merrily jumping over a fence, one at time, neatly and in order as the
count incremented by one with each passage.
That was my initial introduction to counting sheep. It was a stylized and commercial
approach to the project.I never could do it in my own head. I never could get those
little white fluff balls to go over the fence in an orderly manner.
Now I am a little more pragmatic about sheep and the counting thereof. The first
thing I learned was they are rarely white and fluffy. More normally is they are yellowish
or brownish and matted. Sheep are not the smartest creatures in the world, that is
why they require a shepherd. Left to their own devices, sheep would be in a
world of trouble. As for grooming, they have none.
Jesus drew a great analogy when he compared himself to a shepherd and we, his people to
sheep.
We too have proven over the ages that, despite education, we are not necessarily smart in
the ways of the world and left to our own devices we too would be in a world of trouble.
Counting sheep is a supposed aid to someone looking to go to sleep, but to a shepherd it
is a necessity. A shepherd knows how many are in his flock. At night, when it
comes time to retire, he makes sure he returns with the same number he started out with.
Jesus has the same thing with his flock. All are precious in his sight. If
there is one straggler from the flock Jesus is concerned. He will go out looking for
that one.
How many minutes did it take you to figure out that Mother's are like good shepherds too?
And first I have to define my usage of the term Mother. Not everyone that gives
birth is a mother, not in the sense I am using the word. Giving birth is a
biological process, being a Mother is a spiritual gift. Many women give birth, but
not all are worthy of bearing the name mother.
Qualifications come with the name mother.
You have to be able to love unconditionally and unceasingly. When you feel like loving and
when you feel like cracking that child's head. That is a mother.
You have to sacrifice your joy and happiness for the joy and well being of your
child. That is a mother.
If there are two biscuits left, your child will be the one with crumbs on his or her face.
That is a mother.
A mother is the first one up and the last one down, the first to cook but the
last to get to the table. That is a mother.
There is a lot of self sacrifice that comes with being a mother. Many women raise
children. Then some of them rise to the level of motherhood.
Motherhood means not going to sleep until the last member of the family is present
and accounted for. All the sheep are counted.
This is an instinct that God has built into all of the females of his creation but we as
humans, have the power to over-ride the instinct. A mother duck keeps all her
ducklings in line. Gathers them all up before moving from spot to spot.
A fox will flee its hole, hoping to lead danger away from its young. There is a
certain maternal instinct that is inbred with a women.
Which makes it even harder to comprehend when television shows you stories of mothers
battering children, killing babies, disfiguring their young. It goes against
everything nature has installed in them. They are programmed to foster, nurture and
protect. not to maim, mutilate and kill.
Yes, even to die if necessary so their young can live.
Many times there have been stories of a mother giving up what little clothing they
had so a child would not freeze. Starving to death, but giving the last food they had to
their child. Giving their all so that their children could live.
And a mother knows her own child. That child could be taken away from her and not
returned for years, but she would know it was her child when she was back in its presence
again and that child too would no its mother. It is a two way street. There is
a special bond there. An understanding and recognition that goes beyond just a
visual acuity.
This is the same relationship that Jesus has with us. He knows the members of his
flock,. He knows all of us who proclaim him to be our shepherd. And Jesus is
not comfortable until each and every person in his flock is accounted for.
Jesus, the good shepherd, gave his all for his flock. He laid down his life so
those he shepherded could have life eternal. And then, since his Father
commanded it, he was able to pick his life back up again.
Someone really has to care for you to lay their life down for you.
You usually can count on one hand the number of people who would.
If this was the criteria you used for counting sheep you never would get to sleep.
But Jesus said he would die for each and everyone of us.
Not just a select few. Not for just a couple that looked like him, not just
members of his family, not even just members of his country or continent. Jesus the good
shepherd, said he would give his life for all. This is where Jesus' love even out
distances Mother love.
As Christians, we know the good shepherd, and a few good mothers, are looking out for us.
It is that thought that makes the words of the 23rd Psalm that much more effective.
The Psalmist accepted the Lord as his Shepherd. He knew he had to be guided and
protected through he dark valleys of the world and from potential enemies he encountered.
He knew, if the Lord was his shepherd, he would be protected. He would be
fed, his thirst would be attended to and he would be healed. But most importantly,
he knew he would live in the house of the Lord forever.
Even with a good Mother, there is a time when a child must leave the nest.
They will start a family and a life of their own.
That Mother love will never fade, nor will the worry for the child. But the
distances may increase, and the sphere of influence may not be as great. Now you may
have to reach out to touch the child by phone. It is harder to be mothering when the
child grows older and moves under a roof of their own.
But Jesus promises eternal dwelling. A place you never grow too old for. An
arc of safety that you never have to leave. An unconditional condo. A rent-free
efficiency. A mansion on a mountain. A room with a view of creation.
It's built on a good foundation.
It is anchored on a solid rock. The storms can whistle and the storms can blow.
But it will not shake. It will not bend, it will not break. It will not fall.
I have faith in dwelling with my lord
This is where I will live forever.
Not just today. Not even just tomorrow. But for ever.
I come standing on the promise. The promise of the Good Shepherd.
Mothers, as good as they may be, come and some times they must go, but the Good Shepherd
promises to be with us forever and ever.
Your mother may not necessarily be the one who gave birth to you. It might have been
an aunt or a grandmother. Even a cousin or friend of the family. Your mother is the
one who can you unconditional love. If you are blessed to have your Mother with you still,
make sure you give her flowers now while she still can see and smell them. If
you Mother has been called home, remember her for the love that she rained down upon you.
And then remember, as good as those Mothers may be, or have been to you, Jesus loves you
even more. Jesus' love is even stronger and longer lasting than mother love
and that is saying a lot.
