Huddled Together

Share Now

One day last week our son-in-law sent us this picture of his flock. You may have to look closely to find them.

No, the sheep are not standing on an island in the middle of a creek or river. They are standing in a pasture. A creek does run along the bottom of the hillside in the background, but the large mass of moving water you see is a flooded pasture. The sheep and their sheep dog huddled together on the highest ground they could find and stood there waiting — all nineteen of them, including the baby lambs born this winter.

Here is a close-up of their huddle.

Many of you feel like those sheep today, huddled with your baby lambs on the only spot where you feel safe. It is my prayer that we all look back on these days with precious memories of our huddle time. I pray that the lessons we are learning stick with us. I pray that we all will:

• pray more.
• realize that we really do depend on God for everything.
• feel gratitude for what is in our cupboards and freezers.
• exercise more.
• get outside in the sunshine.
• savor each moment.
• make more memories.
• cherish our loved ones.
• spend more time face to face with those we love.
• reach out to others.
• Trust God completely

One reason to be grateful for the current crisis is that it has forced families to be together. One of the purposes that God had for John the Baptist was to:

. . . restore the hearts of the fathers
to their children
and the hearts of the children
to their fathers . . .
Malachi 4:6

Our heavenly Father still wants that to happen. We have a good opportunity to please our Father’s heart that way right now.

Merriam-Webster defines straying as roaming about without a fixed purpose. The lifestyle that some families lived before this crisis could be defined as straying, but here is a chance to come home to each other — and to God.

For you were continually straying like sheep,
but now you have returned
to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
1 Peter 2:25

And just so you know, the water went down and all the sheep and the sheep dog were safe.

Share Now