Thursday, March 28, 2019

A parable


There was once a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. When one wandered off and lost its way, she left the ninety-nine in the open field and went searching.

On that day, the ninety-nine taught her nothing about being a shepherd—about herself, about her vocation in the world—that she did not already know (that is, that she had already learned through a hundred previous frustrations, failures, and triumphs).

But the one that was lost?

Through that sheep, she discovered just how far she would keep on going without giving up...

She discovered just how attentive she was, to footprints in the soft earth, and wool snagged on thorn bushes, and faint distant bleating...

She discovered just how joyful weary bones and scratched skin could be, and just how many others she could draw into celebration...

No comments:

Post a Comment