My Shepherd

Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman was traveling through the Highlands of Scotland when he met a young boy tending sheep. Always ready to witness for the Lord, Dr. Chapman asked the boy, "Do you know how to recite the Twenty-third Psalm?" The timid little boy admitted that he did not, so Chapman taught him the first five words of the Psalm, "The Lord is my shepherd." To help the little boy remember these wonderful words, Chapman had the boy hold up his hand, and he assigned one word to each finger, beginning with the thumb: "The-Lord-is-my-shepherd."

Months later, Dr. Chapman was in the same area of the Highlands again, so he decided to stop by and visit the shepherd boy. Not finding him out in the hills with the sheep, Dr. Chapman inquired at a nearby hut, where he found the boy's mother. She had tragic news. While out tending the sheep, the boy had been caught in a terrible blizzard and lost his life. Tearfully, the mother told Chapman about the way the young boy had treasured the five words of the Twenty-third Psalm, especially the way he had held his fourth finger and repeated the word, "my." He would often say these words of comfort, and holding onto his fourth finger, he would emphasize, "My shepherd, My shepherd." She continued, "When they found his body in the deep snow, his two hands were sticking out. He was clasping his fourth finger! We knew what that meant."

In a world of blizzards, we must have a personal relationship with our Shepherd-Lord. Christ is indeed the Good Shepherd, but unless He is "my" shepherd, it does me no good whatsoever. I cannot face the blizzards of life unless He is my shepherd. I need a personal shepherd for my personal blizzards. I must be able to say "I know whom I have believed" (2 Timothy 1:12).

"The Lord is my shepherd" (Psalm 23:1).

One Shoe

It was one of those July afternoons in Mobile. It felt as if the parking lot was sticking to the soles of my shoes. My main objective was the cool air just the other side of the sliding glass doors.

Just ahead I noticed a child's sandal lying on the sun-baked asphalt. My first reaction was to simply step over the shoe and continue my quest for the coolness just around the corner. Instead, I stopped, picked up the little shoe, and hurried on. Once inside I turned my discovery over to the lady at the desk and began my hospital visits.

As I walked the halls my mind started to wonder. The style was definitely a girl's. Who is she? Is she a blonde or brunette, or maybe a redhead? Is she thin or chubby? What is the color of her eyes. How old is she? What kind of parents does she have? Where is she now? How did she happen to lose her sandal?

I did not have an answer to any of these questions. All I could do was wonder. All I had was one lonely sandal in a scorching Mobile parking lot. But as I walked and wondered I was reminded of how Jesus talked about a child when He told us how we must enter the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus says, "I assure you, unless you are converted and become and like children you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3; HCSB)

The "weakness" of a child is somehow very powerful. A child demonstrates the power to wonder, the power to forgive and forget, the power to show genuine and refreshing innocence. A child is full of trust. Jesus says to gain entrance into heaven demands the same spirit as that of a trusting child. You see, no one enters the Kingdom of heaven walking tall. No, one must enter in trusting humility on their knees. We must each become as a little child.

As I exited the elevator I observed a smiling loving mother putting a small sandal on her daughter. My heart laughed and my soul smiled. Oh yeah! She was a redhead.