The Shepherd and the Sheep

15 The Shepherd and the Sheep Have you ever been lost? How frightening that would be! When I was just a little boy, I used to visit my grandparents on their farm, far from the city. My grandfather was a shepherd. That means he was a sheep farmer. He looked after the sheep. He kept them safe and protected them from wolves and other wild animals in the forest. Each morning, Grandfather gathered the sheep and we set off for distant fields. The sheep stayed together, eating grass under the watchful eye of Grandpa. One day, as we were guarding the sheep, Grandpa asked me what I would do if one of these sheep were to get lost. “ Would you go to look for it?" he asked. " I am not sure, " I replied. " If I went off to look for that one lost sheep, all these others would be alone and unprotected while I was gone. "

Grandpa said, " You are wise, my grandson. But how do you think that lost sheep would feel all alone, lost in the wild without its fellow sheep? Don't you think it would be frightened? A shepherd loves and protects all of his sheep. It is not easy to leave the whole flock to go in search of just one that is lost. That is the job of a shepherd. He will not rest as long as one of his sheep is lost or in danger. " The more I thought about what he said, the more I realized how true it was. If I were lost, I would want my parents to come for me, even if they had to leave my brothers and sisters alone while they searched. When I grew up, I heard the bible story about the shepherd and one lost sheep. Jesus told the story to the people to explain how important each and every person is to God. As long as one person is in danger, the shepherd does whatever it takes to bring that person back safely to the flock.