The Bummer Lamb

I believe that God has gifted Ann Voskamp with an amazing way of words.  Her ability to touch the heart is almost unsettling sometimes.  Today, however, I was truly touched by words she shared from another woman of faith.

I had the pleasure of sitting in a women's conference last weekend.  One of the speakers was Sheila Walsh.  She has definitely had her share of heartache and she had me sobbing when she spoke of God's love for us.  Could it really be true?  Can God love ME?

Here are the words Ann shared from Sheila:

Every now and then, a ewe will give birth to a lamb and immediately reject it. Sometimes the lamb is rejected because they are one of twins and the mother doesn’t have enough milk or she is old and frankly quite tired of the whole business. They call those lambs, bummer lambs. Unless the shepherd intervenes, that lamb will die.

So the shepherd will take that little lost one into his home and hand feed it from a bottle and keep it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up warm and hold it close enough to hear a heart beat. When the lamb is strong the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock.

“Off you go now. You. can. do. this. I’m right here.”

The most beautiful sight to see is when the shepherd approaches his flock in the morning and calls them out, “Sheep, sheep, sheep!”

The first to run to him are the bummer lambs because they know his voice.

It’s not that they are more loved — it’s just that they believe it.

They believe it.  They know the shepherd loves them because He cared for them when no one else would.  I know that God has held me through the many heartaches in my life, but still the concept of love seems so out of reach.  I believe God has been kind to me.  I believe He has cared for me.  But can He really love me?  I want to believe it.