For many years, we have received a freezer lamb from our friends. It is personally my favorite meat. I have always called it the lobster of the farm!

With our new homestead, sheep was on the list to be added once we had the fencing completed.

I am intrigued that God refers to us as His sheep.

As we embark on this latest journey of livestock on our homestead, I am sure we are about to find out why we are compared to sheep.

As I was talking to my mentor and friend about sheep, I mention, “this will be interesting as to why God calls us sheep.” She laughed and agreed that we were about to find out. She stated “every sheep we have, I can name a person just like it”. With that, I grinned and said, “I feel like we will be getting some spiritual lesson in this process”.

So, it begins ….

We find sheep that match our homestead. We decided that a Katahdin breed would be the best. They are hardy. They are hair sheep (no need to shear). They are resistant to parasites. They are great grazers. They do well on hay or pasture with no grain. They lamb well.

So, we are off! Buying four ewes for our breeding stock. We are buying from another homesteader, who purchased the sheep, but quickly realized that they were too much for them.

The owners lived up the side of a mountain, just across the river from West Virginia. The owner stated the drive was quite steep and might not be safe to come up with our truck and trailer. We agreed. He stated he would meet us at the bottom of the mountain. He would bring the sheep to us. He assures us, they will follow him down the mountain and into the trailer.

In my mind, I am thinking I don’t think that’s a good idea. But what do I know. I don’t own sheep yet. From what I know from being around them and learning about them. They are skittish. They don’t like change. They don’t like strangers. They bolt and flee if they think something is wrong. He’s the shepherd. If he says, they will go down the mountain, who am I to question.

As we waited at the bottom of the mountain, we could hear the sheep coming. We could see them making their way down the gravel drive. About halfway down, they decided that wasn’t the best for them and up the hill they went. The shepherd and his wife corral them and get them moving again back down the mountain. The sheep get to the same point on the gravel drive and this time, one dives off the road and up the mountain in the bush. Two others divert a different way and come down the mountain in the bush. The other remains in the drive, looking around, wondering where all her little buddies went.

Again, the shepherd and wife, corral them together. Just as they started back down, the sheep turned and bolted up the drive, past them both!

A very frustrated wife came down the mountain to apologize. We assured her it was ok. We understood. We proceed to ask if there was anything we could do to help corral and halter them. She assured us that they could corral them.  They would try again to bring them down.

Stationed at the truck and trailer, we proceeded to wait.  We had planned on having a picnic on the road as we were over 3 hours from home. Not knowing how long this process would take, I proceeded to make sandwiches.

We then heard someone coming in a side by side. It was the shepherd. No sheep. He was very frustrated and proceeded to say he did not think it could work to walk them down the mountain. He decided he would go back up the mountain, get them into his SUV and bring them down to us. Again, we offered to help. These sheep were definitely not cooperating for him today!

We waited. We waited. We waited.

Then we heard his SUV. He pulled up beside us. He got out. He was sweating. Out of breath. Clearly frustrated.

He proceeded to say, the sheep were running around everywhere. Now they are up at the top and out of the pastures, they are just exploring and not listening. He suggested we could wait for them to calm down and he could corral them. He then proceeded to share, they were panting, worked up and he was concerned that now they were over exerted due to all their running. He offered to let them rest. He would bring them to us, knowing that we were over 3 hours away.

In the best interest of the sheep and shepherd, we agreed. The sheep needed to be calm and not to transport them at this time.

As we got in the truck, a little voice from the back “this was the worst day!” I said, “the worst day! I think I can find many days that beat this! Yes, the mission was to come home with sheep. However, we got to spend time as a family. We saw scenery we had never seen. God gave us a beautiful day. We had a picnic.”

Then I shared.

You know, God calls us sheep. The shepherd thought his sheep would follow him. The shepherd knows what is best for the sheep. He was leading them down the mountain to a new place. A new homestead. A new beginning. The shepherd knew it was not right for them to continue to keep them. He was making a good decision for his sheep.

The sheep decided that they would go their own way. They would adventure here and there. They ran and ran until they looked like they would collapse. The shepherd ran and ran until he looked like he was going to collapse too!

God calls us sheep. How many times to you think God feels this way about us? How many times does our Pastor feel this way? Our parents? Our mentors?

As we talked about what happened with the sheep. I shared with her God gives us direction. He knows what is best for us. Our parents, our pastor, and our mentors give us direction. They are using their wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual guidance to help us choose our best.

So many times, we are like these sheep coming down the mountain. It’s like hollering “squirrel” to a dog! We run here. We run there. We don’t take instructions. We do not follow the path that God has for us.  So, we run until we are exhausted.

The Bible says in John 10:27&28, “the sheep hear my voice and know”

I want to be like that sheep. I want to hear God’s voice. I want to know His voice. I want to follow His voice. I want to know this type of intimacy and relationship with God, who is my Shephard. I want to avoid being a sheep that is coming down the drive that runs and bolts. A sheep that doesn’t listen to the Shephard who is trying to lead them to green pastures.

I then asked her, “What type of sheep are you? Will you be a little lamb that hears the tug of God and will heed to it? Or will you run, bolt, and not listen to instruction, or to make that good decision? We are all sheep. We all have a choice. God gives us the freedom to choose. Do we choose wisely?”

Do we do our own thing, ignoring what is right in our walk with God, in our relationships, in our homes, when it comes to our health and on our jobs?

The Bible is full of sheep references. That’s us! We are sheep. I want to be the sheep that hear His voice and follows.

So it begins……..

We have sheep.

Until Next Time, Happy Homesteading wherever you call home.

Farmgirl Jo

3 John 2 AMP – Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and that your body may keep well, even as I know your soul keeps well and prospers.

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Chloe & Zoey checking out the new arrivals. They are in love with them already!