Stranded In The Storm
Standing alone in the middle of a rain drenched field, BB, the blind ram listened in vain for the sound of the bell that was worn around the neck of the lead sheep. Buried in the mud, the bell that he relied on for direction was now silent. The eight other sheep walked single file through the freezing rain, unaware that their blind companion was not following behind them.
As the water began to pool around his feet, BB began nervously walking in circles. “BB is lost again”, my husband said as he took of his rain-soaked jacket. “LOST?!” I said, as I jumped to my feet. “What do you mean lost?’, I said walking to the window. I could barely see him in the distance, but through the rain, I could see one white silhouette at the far end of the pasture. BB was out there in the storm, confused and alone.
In just a few seconds I had on my raingear, and as I stepped into my tall boots I said, “I’ll be back”! My husband just shook his head as I headed out into the storm. As I opened the gate to the pasture, I was annoyed at the “girls” who were now dry and happily chewing their cud. “What friends you are!” I said as I closed the gate behind me.
“BB!” I yelled, as I jogged toward him. “BB!” Finally, the third time I called his name, his head popped up. He tilted his head as if in disbelief, but as I called his name again, he began walking, then trotting towards my voice. “BB! It’s me! Come here boy! I’ve come to get you!”
As we approached each other, BB seemed relieved but still a little stressed. However, once I touched his face, it was as if all was right in BB’s world. The ponding water that had been so frightening just minutes ago, suddenly wasn’t an issue anymore. BB walked boldly behind me, his head held high, his tail wagging. His shepherd had found him, and he was safe!
How many times have we found ourselves in a storm, alone? The things that we thought would save us, failed. Those close to us may not realize that we are struggling, but our Shepherd knows when we need help. No matter how fiercely the wind blows, or how cold the rain is, our Shepherd will come for us. The real questions is, will we respond to His voice? My prayer today is that we would all have BB’s faith, humility, and wisdom, and that we follow our Shepherd as willingly as he does!
(Note: It was raining too hard to take a picture, so I used this one 
. )