My walk with a shepherd

I had the opportunity to walk with a shepherd the other day. We walked slowly from field to field followed by exactly 36 sheep. I know it was exactly 36 because I was introduced to each one by name. The shepherd told me all about the temperament of each sheep and what it liked to eat and do. He told me about how old it was and which of the other sheep it did and didn't get along with. The shepherd spoke of his sheep with such love and tenderness that it was easy to see how much he cared for them. The shepherd led the sheep from pasture to pasture calling to them every now with a very specific sounding call... brrr ho ho ho, brrr ho ho ho. The sheep followed loyally and did not need coercion. The shepherd explained that each shepherd's call was unique and when we passed another herd each shepherd was not worried about the sheep getting mixed as each sheep knew the call of its shepherd and would follow. The shepherd did not round up the sheep when it was time to go but rather just began walking and started calling to them. When we stopped at various pastures, occasionally there were things that the sheep should not eat. The shepherd kept watch over the sheep to keep them from eating anything they shouldn't and carried a long, thin, and hollow plastic tube. I imagined this was to hit the sheep with when they misbehaved but I never once saw him hit any of them. If they would not listen he would swing his tube which made a howling noise and strike a rock or tree beside them. This would frighten the sheep and they would obey the shepherd but the shepherd still was still very tender and caring even when the sheep were disobeying him. At one point a small lamb wandered too far from the flock so the shepherd left the flock to go find it. The lamb was behind some buildings in town and was crying out to be found. The shepherd said that when the small lambs get lost they just sit there and cry out for help. The shepherd said that sheep don't like to be alone and it was obvious that when this lamb saw the shepherd it was relieved and stopped crying out. The shepherd was diligent and alert watching for danger and protecting his flock. He loved his sheep and they were his charge. He led them from place to place providing for them the best grazing he knew of and the best places to find water and food. In the desert here it can be difficult at other times of the year to find water or abundant grass but the shepherd knew where to go and could lead the sheep.
Many have used the analogy of the shepherd in the past so I figured I would take a minute to describe what I learned about shepherds the other day on my walk. There are times where we must follow a shepherd, and there are times where we are responsible to shepherd others. I will leave the interpretation to you but the simple lessons I gleaned from my walk with the shepherd I won't soon forget.

Loren of Arabia