The Good Shepherd

Earlier this week I saw something on the news that got me a little riled up.  I was going to write about it here.  Then I read the Visiting Teaching lesson in preparation to go visit the sisters on my route.  As I read the message, thoughts started swirling in my head, making the two subjects congruent.  And for a much gentler blog post.  A lot of it I took from my own limited farming experience growing up and from watching my dad.
We hear so much in church about the good shepherd does, but little about what goes into shepherding.  (Not that I know much; we had cows).  It is not a glossy, glowing painting of a man with a staff and lambs frolicking at his feet.  It is not a babysitter of sheep.  A shepherd must be hard working and vigilant.  A shepherd must be educated.  A shepherd should love his job and his wards.
When a shepherd sends his sheep out to pasture, it is not without forethought or measure.  He has to know the land where they will graze: the pitfalls, where the water is (is there sufficient for the flock?), where the best grass is, and where the wolves or sheep rustlers are.  He has to understand the land.  He has to know to not overgraze, but to keep the sheep moving over the grass. 
The shepherd must also know his sheep.  He needs to be able to see when one of his flock is not feeling well.  He has to keep up on basic veterinarian skills:  how to take care of mild illnesses, how to help birth a lamb when the mother is struggling, how to care for an infant orphan. 
He has to have developed a relationship of trust, so that when he calls, the flock listens and obeys. 
The shepherd must remain vigilant in his stewardship.  Making sure that there is water one day, but not the next will cause a loss to the herd.  Knowing that the wolves are away one day, but not constantly watching to make sure, will inevitably lead to sorrow and death.  He does not get to be lazy.  He does not get a day off. 
He does not let the sheep wander wherever they want, whenever they want.  There is a plan for their benefit and his.  He goes and gets any that wander.  He calls to them when they start to drift. 
There are many opportunities for us to be shepherds.  We find them in our families, our church callings, or in our communities.  When we enter the sacredness of a stewardship, we should never take it lightly.  There are lives at stake.  We have to watch for the wolves and those that would steal our flocks.  We should make sure that they are fed and watered properly.  We should know how to come to their aid when they are low or are in distress.  
It is sad when a shepherd leads his flock astray.  The sorrow begins when there is the opportunity for him to make a difference and to be a force for good and yet all can see the hypocrisy and deception in every word spoken and every deed done.   Sorrow, because he and they could be so much happier than they are.