A New-Found Respect for My Shepherd

(http://ocw.usu.edu/University_Extension/sheep-and-lambing-management/index.html)

 Its been an incredible year. A new adventure that had both challenges of mind, body and faith. Like all new adventures, this year has come with pain and loss as well as with new beginnings.
Its 7 months into the year and I have found inspiration for my second blogpost for 2011. (I know it has been a very long time but I really felt the need to focus on myself and settle down into my new life at Onderstepoort- Veterinary Teaching Institute- as I begin the next phase of my journey to accomplish my dream)

So here we are, in July, and it was in my midyear exams that I found some inspiration for this post...
As part of my syllabus this year I have had to do a module that involves the handling, behaviour and welfare of production animals.. (sheep, pigs, goats and cattle---basically just dealing with everyday aspects and routine procedures that occur on farms).
 ***quite ironic that in my 3 years of veterinary study I'm far closer to being a farmer than an everyday vet but hey, we all must start somewhere. :)***
  As our midyear exam for this module we were required to undergo our first ever oral and practical exam. These exams occured over three days with one species per day (cattle, pigs and sheep respectively). The nerves amongst my years block in res were certainly tangible as these much dreaded exams drew nearer and nearer...

We were all rather terrified at the prospect of having to take our exams orally, especially when combined with the handling and the performance of potentially painful procedures on rather temperamental and untame animals.
Thankfully though, our fears were largely unwarranted, with the lecturers being very understanding and helpful and the animals largely cooperative--the pigs literally slept through my exam---that is, except for the sheep...

When you imagine a sheep I'm sure a cute little image of little-bo-peep's-pet jumping over a fence as you drift into sleep pops into mind but in reality sheep are flighty, instinct-driven, rather smelly and fairly strong, 50kg (about 110lbs) animals that have little trust of humans...
Upon arriving at my sheep exam, I was asked to discuss and illustrate the basic restraining of a sheep, in theory a very simple task. I managed to procure my sheep, much to its disgust, and restrain it fairly well (restraining it involves taking hold of the animal above its leg and pulling it backwards following which you place your hand around its muzzle and the other hand in its flank). But by this stage the sheep was no longer interested in doing anything I wanted it to do. So when I was asked to restrain the animal as if it were a goat, (which involves backing it into a corner) I performed the textbook "reverse" method... but to no avail. The incredibly stubborn sheep had made up its mind not to listen to me, refusing to budge from its position and even laying down right in front of my lecturer! Eventually I ran out of time in my exam and a disgruntled, out of breath me had to admit defeat to a sheep...

Which brings me to my point...
Whilst battling the sheep I was faced with the image of a "shepherd" attempting to attend to a sheep that was too stubborn to listen. I guarantee that I had the best interests of the sheep in mind and I knew exactly the path that would be easiest and most helpful to the sheep but the poor animal stubbornly refused to trust me.

I know that in my relationship with the Lord I am very often like that sheep. God knows what is right for me, He knows what path I should take that would be for my best interest but sometimes I just refuse to move and stubbornly resist change. So often the path that God wants for me will take me away from the "other sheep" and often, like a sheep, I fight what He wants from me and instead try to follow the flock. Sometimes its fear of what I don't know (I'm sure the sheep was most afraid that if she'd listened to me she may have had some nasty needle stuck into her), and sometimes, I'm afraid, it's mistrust of the sheperd.
As a vet (or a shepherd), I need to know what the animals need. I need to know what is in their best interest. If a painful procedure is required, I have to be able to justify it as being in the best interest of the animal...
Isn't it the same with God? He knows what is right for us, He knows it may be hard or painful, but the path that He wants us to take is entirely for our own good and His glory.
Knowing how helpful and nice it would have been for both the sheep and I had the sheep cooperated, it makes me really want to try harder to listen to Him. 

I passed my exams in that module. At the time it was a tad humbling and humiliating, but I can appreciate the lesson it brought me. And now, when my saviour is described as a shepherd, I can smile and have a new found respect for Him.

Thanks for 2010!

I have really been struggling to find a topic for a post that would be both meaningful and true to what I believe...
But it occured to me that there are times when, as a Christian, you do not need extravagant words or brilliant gestures to bring Him glory...sometimes you just need to turn around and say "thanks".
So that is exactly what I'd like to do through this post. Reflect a little bit on the past year and say thanks to the King who walked each day with me and made such an amazing year possible.

2010 was for me a year of great challenges, of some amazing highs and lows as I aspired to step towards reaching a lifelong dream...

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a vet. I LOVE animals and to me they represent the beauty and love of our maker. It's a difficult thing to explain but often, when I look at an animals "personality", I can better understand the true nature of our Lord.
For instance, I only have to look at the dedication and absolute love that a well-cared-for dog shows to it owner to understand how I should react towards my "Master".

Ask any cat what it's feelings are towards a vet and they may not be all too complementary but I think that it is a really amazing profession.
Vets will (hopefully) look after and treat animals in a loving, kind and gentle way. While your pets may not quite understand what it is that the vet is doing, and sometimes it may be difficult or painful for the pet, it will undoubtedly come out of the vet's better knowledge, love for your pet and a will to do what is best for the animal... 
As a Christian that sentiment is fairly familiar...

This year was my selection year for entrance into the Veterinary Science degree. As this is something that Ive always wanted with all my heart, I knew right from the start that if God ever wanted to really test my faith He could use this as the ultimate test. I knew that it would be really difficult to trust in His plan for my life if something that I wanted so badly was denied for me, yet I hoped that I would prove faithful in such a test. 
I also knew that there was no way that I would be able to make it through this year without Him by my side. 

Every step of the way I have felt Him near to me. There has been many ups and downs and I chose early to give this part of my life openly to Him and let whatever must happen, happen. I cant tell you how much support and love I've had from Him and all my family and friends. It has been amazing to feel such true love.

Thankfully, my story of 2010 had a positive ending, not just with selection but also in terms of my growth as a Christian as I learnt to really trust and rely on His plan for me. It has been a very inspiring and amazing walk. 
I know without Him in my life, my path would be measurably different, so to my Saviour, I'd really like to say thank you for leading me on this walk.

xXx

(Over the next two and a half weeks, I am going to be on holiday for a week followed by 2 farm practicals where I will be working on farms. 

As such I do not feel that I will have time to put up posts so would like you all to know that my prayers are with you all and I hope that you will be blessed in this time)  

"He also made the stars..."

**The inspiration for today's post comes from a message I once heard in church. I was reading Genesis 1 the other morning and was reminded of this message and wanted to share my thoughts on it... **

A couple of weeks ago I was spending some time on a farm in the countryside in Limpopo, South Africa.

I was very blessed to have the opportunity to relax on the grass one evening and lie gazing up at the beautiful galaxy that surrounds us. It was a cloudless night and I could see hundreds of stars peeking down at earth. For somebody who lives in an unfortunately rather smog-covered city, it was really quite a wonderful opportunity to experience the fresh air and beautiful night sky and I cherished the opportunity to admire God's amazing creation...

Having seen such vast, undeniable beauty it can be somewhat of a suprise for me to read Genesis 1:16. Im sure that you are well aware that this chapter highlights the story of creation but there is a small phrase that I feel has enormous significance...

"He also made the stars."

Why did the author of this passage choose to include the word, "also" into this statement? One only really has to glance at a clear night sky to see that creating all the stars in the heavens should not really be considered an easy feat yet the way that it is worded in the passage makes it seem that it was somewhat of an afterthought...

I think, however, that using that specific wording in this sense was not simply a grammatical statement but was rather a subtle reminder of how great and majestic the God we serve is.

While the stars seem so vast and magnificent to me, they were simply "finishing touches" to His creation. The vast and mighty things in my eyes are the "extras" in His and that serves to remind me of just how big, mighty and powerful the God that I serve is. 

I can barely keep a plant alive for more than a week, let alone create anything nearly as beautiful as the smallest things that He has created, so for me this passage gives me a very frighteningly real perspective on how big He is.     

Sometimes, as sad as it is to admit, I think I try and put God into a box in my mind...In my prayers there are times when I almost "give Him my shoppng list" of all the things that I long for in my life and forget just how amazingly big He is. While I think that He loves us enough to want to know all our thoughts and hearts desires I do think that it is important to remember who we are talking to, and praise Him accordingly for that.

You may feel really tiny after imagining God in this way, but that in itself highlights just how amazing what He did for us was. 

In comparison to the creator of the universe, we might not seem very big and important... But because of who He is, He was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save us, even though we could never add anything to His might or glory.

Look up at the stars-He must be an amazing God!