Going Home

When I left the pulpit for the farm nearly fourteen years ago, three cow pairs came to live in the pasture.  For those unfamiliar with cow stuff, a cow pair is a Moma cow with a nursing calf.  While it is best not to name the cows lest the farm become a petting zoo instead of a source of income, some of mine got names put on them.  Those first two calves which came to the farm have been known through the years as Red Cow's Calf and Boss Cow's Friend's Calf.  They are still here.  And while there have been many cows born here and going to market from here, those two have remained.  At least they remained until a short time ago when Red Cow's Calf died in the pasture.     

It was a sad day.  For farmers, the death of an animal is more than just a dollar lost, it is first of all a living creature that is gone.  Jesus told a parable about a shepherd who lost one of a hundred sheep and who searched until it was found.  Even as no good cattle farmer would shrug his shoulders at the loss of one cow, neither would any good shepherd be content with the many when one was gone.  For the one who tends and cares for livestock, each one is important.   

What Jesus wanted His disciples and us to understand is the reality of our individual value. When the lost sheep was found, the shepherd invited his neighbors to rejoice with him. "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost."  (Luke 15:6)  In those dark moments of life, it may seem that God has taken a vacation, or forsaken us, or maybe, just shrugged His shoulders at what our wandering away has done to us, but such is never the case.  The parable tells us God is never going to be content as long as a single one of us has wandered away from the Home provided by His love and care.  If we are one of those wanderers, maybe it is time to look for our seeking God and return Home with Him.