I would like to tell you a story. It’s about a pink sheep.
Imagine a very vast, green and lush field among mountains and trees and it’s full of a large flock of sheep. It was handled by a Shepherd who knows each and every one of his sheep. It was a great field to live in, with just a little rule: to stay in the field and hear and follow the shepherd's voice when he calls and to not go astray. So, again, we go back to the field. There are sheep which are grazing near the brook and those that are running with their small feet. There are those resting near the shades of trees. Some are black, some are white, but there’s one who is pink.
She seems vibrant, happy, unique and full of life, trying to mingle with other sheep. But somehow, this pink sheep pushes some away, and even kick with her little legs the ones who would dare go near her. Some sheep would raise their eyebrows and say, “That sheep is so weird. Why is she the only one who’s pink? She just wants attention and she just wants to be noticed.”
Left mostly alone, the pink sheep would again try to mingle with other sheep, she feels happy for a while and then when someone goes near, she would kick them with her feet, angrily blurting out“Baaa-baaa!!!! Go away!” Crying out in pain out of the kicking and rejection, the other sheep would leave her alone, as they should.
The pink sheep realized that it’d better if she deals with herself alone. One day, she saw a blinking pink light near the cliff. She knew she shouldn’t go there but it seems like it’s calling to her, “Come, let’s play here! We welcome everything pink here. Come out of the field and join us!” Slowly, she went to the cliff, looking back if someone realized she’s getting farther away. No one seemed to notice. She walked on, excited on the bright light that seemed to welcome her.
Until, the bright light stopped at a barbed wire fence, and before she knew it, she was caught trapped and bleeding out. She heard some dead leaves crackling and the wind was getting hotter. She heard someone laughing. And out of the corner of her eye, she saw a big wolf going near her, its eyes twinkling—it was the light that was calling to her. It was snickering, “Oh, you are so easy to trap! I will eat you!” Panicking, the pink sheep cried, “Baaaa-baaaaa!!!! Help me!!!!!”
The wolf was getting nearer, its sharp teeth out, hungry with its saliva dripping and with eyes focused on devouring the pink sheep. Closing her eyes, she cried out, “Baaaa-baaaa!!!” In a few seconds, she was thinking that she would be dead but then, she heard the wolf whimper and opening her eyes, she saw the wolf with fear in his eyes and ran out to hide in the woods.
Someone scooped the pink sheep and it was the Shepherd. She was happy because she was saved but she was also afraid for once again, she has gone astray and did not follow the Shepherd's rules. This is not the first instance she got caught up in something because of her turning away from the flock and the shepherd. The shepherd picked the little sheep and embraced her, as if she’s the only sheep in the entire flock. He said and cried out, “I have searched everywhere for you and I was happy when you called out for help because I heard you and I came rushing here to save you. Please don’t separate yourself from me anymore”.
The shepherd touched the pink sheep’s wound and the pink sheep cried out in pain. The shepherd said, “My dear little pink sheep, you have been in pain and your blood makes your wool pink. Let me tend to your wound and heal you so that when others go near you, you will not be in pain anymore. And then, you can be with them”.
He continued, “Your blooded pink wool makes you unique. Your pain makes you unique. And I love you regardless. You are mine. And I will protect you. I will heal you from whatever your pain is. You shall not fear for I am here. Just don’t go astray anymore.”
The sheep realized why she’s pink after all. And she also realized that it takes her to open her heart to call on the shepherd and allow healing from him to be able to belong and be safe. There’s no other who knows her by her name, who knows what she has gone through, who saved her and who forgave her—the same shepherd who will heal her and make her whole.
Friends, I guess you know now that the Good Shepherd is our Lord Jesus Christ and that makes us the pink sheep. We are prone to wander. Whether we realize it or not, we are entirely and will always be reliant on our Shepherd. When we open our eyes to how much we really need and rely on God for everything, the more we realize His provision in our lives. He knows our needs even before we know it. But if we live in the lie that we can do things on our own, we wander and drift away from our true source, looking for satisfaction, for validation in the superficial, blinking and temporary things.
Psalm 23 is becoming one of my
favorite verses in the Bible, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of
righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your
staff, they comfort me.”
Because
we are not in a farm, we really cannot associate ourselves to the close and intimate
relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. A shepherd knows each one of his
sheep and when one is lost, he makes sure he will find it. He cares and has a
deep concern for his flock and for each and every single one of his sheep. In
the same way, God cares for us like the Shepherd. He knows us by name and has
counted the hair on our heads. He knows when we are lost and Has sent His Son
to save us.
Like
the pink sheep, my life can only be fulfilled in Him, through Him and with Him.
I have made the decision to follow my Shepherd and not to desire anything outside
of God’s will.
Prayer
for today: My Shepherd and my God, you are all good and loving. Your kindness
and mercy never fails. May you always listen to my call and forgive me for
going astray and turning away from you. My steps are following baa-baack to
you! Please don’t let me be separated from you anymore. I love you, thank you for looking out for me. Amen!
Welcome
to The Pink Sheep Blog, my sheepmates and flockmates. This is my own way of
glorifying my Shepherd and my God, to let others know His love through my life,
the other sheep I encounter and how I see it. I do not know you and maybe you feel lost right now, confused, alone, empty. Be comforted in the fact that there is someone who will always look out for you and who will always love you. Cry out in surrender and open your heart to His saving grace. I pray that you will find your
way back to God, and that you will gain something out of the articles I will be
sharing here.
See you around, my sheepmates! Stay safe and remember, God loves ewe!
Don Moen Song for inspiration:
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