I think it is safe to say that all of us, at one time or another, have experienced feeling lost. Many of us probably remember an incident from childhood when we got separated from our parent(s) in a store or large crowd of people and all of the fear and tears that go along with being lost and then the tears of joy and security upon being found. It is also probably pretty safe to assume that we have experienced similar situations in our relationship with the Lord. Maybe you are feeling lost right now.
We wander away from the flock and from our Good Shepherd for any number of reasons. Maybe there is sin in our lives that makes us feel dirty, ashamed, or set apart from the other sheep. Or there is a wound in our hearts that is raw and we don't want anyone to touch it. Perhaps we have a fear of being loved and belonging to another.
Whatever the situation might be, the common denominator is that we don't want Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to see and care for these parts of us with His merciful love, and so we run away.
I imagine leaving the flock might look something like this:
You are a little lamb who thinks you are a grown sheep that can take care of yourself. In your wanderings by yourself in the desert, you feel the wind pelting you with sand and the heat of the sun beating down on your back. You don't have any protection. You begin to feel your littleness against the vast landscape of the desert.
You become weaker and weaker and yet you wander and become more lost and alone … until you reach the place of exhaustion and give up. You collapse, cover your eyes with your tiny, little lamb ears to protect them from the blowing sand, and then you cry out with one last, little hopeless bleat. Little, weak, alone, and lost, you hope to be found.
But, are you really lost?
No! Because the Good Shepherd has always had his eye on you. He has just been waiting for you to want to be found and to cry out for help!
As you lie helpless and in so much need, you suddenly feel a big, strong hand on your head. It's the Good Shepherd! He has heard your hopeless bleat!
He sees that there is still breath in you. He scoops you up into his arms and holds you close to his chest. You become aware of his steady heart beat. He wraps his cloak around you and you feel its protection against the elements.
You experience his gentle, healing touch. You feel his breath upon your neck and hear his whisper of forgiveness. You know that you are His!
And you discover that there is no place you would rather be than in his merciful arms!
So, I pose the question to you ... "Will you let yourself be found?"
Sr. Sophia Grace Huschka, T.O.R.
