"Hey, get lost; that was really a sheep trick!" A (found) memory just for ewe.

Great message at Living Stones today: http://livingstonescov.org/

Pastor John rocked me, using some metaphors and a passage from Luke 15: 1-10. Love the idea of the parable Jesus used about the 99 sheep and the one lost one that the shepherd looked for, found and carried home on his shoulders to his home. (I did try to do a parody on the "99 bottles of beer" song, but couldn't get the last word: "99 wandering sheep on the..." ??) But for me it really came home when he then referred to this great quip from Ezekial 34:11-16 - 

¹¹ " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. ¹³ I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. ¹⁴ I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. ¹⁶ I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak...." 

I don't know about you, but I have experienced my doses of the "lost things syndrome" while grazing away from the herd. Any of these sound familiar?

"I lost my car keys."

"I lost my wallet."

"I lost control."

"I lost my job."

And my all-time (continuing) favorite: "I lost my mind."

Here's what I found while grazing where I wasn't supposed to be:

- I didn't really need to drive the car: I gave the wheel away and am on a ride.

- I didn't really need my wallet: I gave my old identity and assets a way.

- I didn't need control: I gave it away so I can be out of control.

- I didn't need the job: I am employed to do the work.

- I didn't need my mind: I have never minded any better since.

Stop looking for what you might have lost. Ewe might just end up with some found memories of your very own. 

Goodbah for now.

For emphasis - (b)