Find Your Flock

I am working on memorizing some verses.  I found them when reading my bible a few months ago, highlighted them, and just chanced onto them last night in one of my – ‘please give me an inspirational moment ‘ moments.  The verses are from 1 Peter, chapter 5, verses 2 and 3.  Verse 2 says

“Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you.  Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly – not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.”

I am a mother of four (two of my own and two step-daughters) and a teacher.  This verse has a special meaning to me.  God has entrusted me with a flock.  He expects me to car for it.  I love my step-daughters greatly, but you know what I mean when I say it is not ‘a walk in the park’.  My boys are now 11 and 14; my girls are now 12 and 15.  The younger girl moved in with us in first grade and the older when she was in seventh grade (she had come for a semester of school when the younger did, but went back to her mom at Christmas, then returned 3 years later when we moved into a different school district and onto a farm).  When my husband and I met the kids were 3, 4, 6, and 6.  We were married and just had the boys for about three years, then we added the youngest girl for about 3 years, then we added on the oldest girl about 3 years ago.  Our oldest has said that when she didn’t live with us she did not ‘get God’; she thought of church on her weekends with us as boring torture.  She is now very involved and does her best to live as Christ wants and loves him.  When having this conversation – I came to recognize my ‘flock’.  I thought of the passage (the multiple passages) that talks about being trustworthy with some and being given more.  I realized that God must look favorably on how I raised the boys and gave me a little more, and a little more…  There are many times when I must admit – I have looked upon the responsibility grudgingly.  There are times that I have wondered what on earth got into me to let this happen.  Then I realize that it was nothing –on earth; it was God, in heaven. 

This verse screams to me.  God has given me a flock, a flock to raise FOR Him, and IN Him.  And I should raise my flock “willingly and not grudgingly”.  A house of teens is not easy for anyone – steps or no steps, but they are a flock.  I also have students and peers at school.  It is a public school so I cannot be very direct.  But I can still ‘watch over them willingly’.

God repeatedly places us in the midst of a ‘flock’.  He puts us where He wants and needs us to be.  What is your flock?  A pastor’s flock is obvious, some are more obscure.  Who are you around all day?  Your family is definitely a flock.  You may think ‘well, I made this decision without God, I got myself into this mess, it wasn’t God who put me here’ – hahahhahahahahhahaha!  God is in everything, and He has a beautiful habit of making Satan’s work turn into His own work!  Recognize where you are, recognize your work, and recognize your flock!

SO, I hear many ‘fine – what can I do about it?’  Well, then we must refer to 1 Peter 5 again, this time looking at verse 3.  Verse 3 says

“Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.” (NLT)

Be a light.  Set an example.  Shower those around you with the love the Jesus showers over everyone.  Look at the love He showered in His time on earth.  Reflect that love to others.  Care for your flock.

What are we chasing?

I love my cats.  This morning I woke up to this little scuffling noise.  My cat was trying to get inside this little box under the dresser.  She was very intent and focused.  As I watched, her determination took her under the dresser with the box.  I realize that this particular cat is not as big as she looks due to all of the hair.  But she squashed herself under the dresser all the same, to get whatever was in that box.  Now, I must share with you that we live in a 100 year old farmhouse.  We have mice.  Our cats are excellent mousers (the only time we see evidence of one of these mice, it is usually when they are being pursued or dead - I love my cats).  So, I made the educated guess that she had a mouse trapped in that box.  I got out of bed and examined the box - without touching it of course.  This particular box was an old box for Stove Top Stuffing (which my husband has a great weakness for).  I recognized it as one that had been repurposed by my husband.  I remembered that there was some kind of trap in there - I couldn’t remember if it was for bugs or mice, but he had used the box for the cat’s safety.  Upon a distant inspection I could see that the box had two openings.  I blocked one opening with another object, the cat still diligently guarding the other opening, guided it out from under the dresser and turned it on its end so that the culprit had little chance to escape.  No movement.  I looked into the open end of the box from as far away as I could and found myself face to face with a mouse!  It’s eyes were studying me carefully.  Wait, no they weren’t, they were dead.  It was a dead mouse.  Fresh enough that it was not moving, but had no smell.  Lovely.  I guess I would rather be face to face with a dead mouse rather than a live one.  And God has blessed me that it was fresh rather than in some state of decomposition.  

Ok, nice story - if you chose to read it over breakfast, I do apologize - but here is my point…  What was my cat doing spending so much time trying to capture a mouse that was already dead…  How many things in our life are we focused and diligent to capture that have no meaning and no purpose?  What are we chasing that is ‘already dead’?  Sometimes my kids will be playing a game and say “I just have to get to one more level mom, please?”  My heartless response is “you don’t ‘have to’, whether you achieve the next level or not has absolutely no bearing on your life”.  What is there that we have in our lives that we feel we just “have to” do or accomplish.  What kinds of things are taking your focus off of God?  Is what you are focused on a job that God has given you to do?  Does it have a significant bearing on your life?  Is it a necessity?  God does want us to enjoy our lives and free time, that is why he gives us some.  But he also wants us to make good choices.  Sometimes a game with the kids will trump sweeping the floor.  And sometimes weeding the garden will trump reading a book.  In my world, everything trumps a video game or TV - haha - hope you read that dear children of mine.

There is another dead mouse to consider, are you chasing a large and life changing thing that is just out of reach in a box?  Is it God directed, or something He has put out of reach because it is bad for you?  Is it a relationship that will ruin your life - like a dead mouse or poisoned mouse would ruin my cat’s health?  Is it a job change that is not in God’s plan?  Pray about what it is you find yourself focused on.  See if it is God’s will, or just a dead mouse.

He is risen!

Happy Easter!  Glorious Resurrection Day!  He lives!

Easter has always been very close to my heart.  I am always so excited on Easter morning.  When I was a child we would run down and hunt down the hidden gift and candy that were left by ‘the Easter Bunny’.  Then we would put on our very best clothes, usually new, springy and beautiful, and head to church.  Church was always very early in the morning.  The church we attended would have sunrise services on Easter morning.  I loved being up with my whole family and headed to church as the sun rose over the horizon and the songs and message about Christ’s resurrection.  After church we had a church breakfast.  When I got older I helped to serve at the breakfast, clearing tables and refilling coffee and juice.  Most Easters we would head to one Grandma’s house or another for a large family lunch and afternoon of games and visiting.  It was always a day that I looked forward to, not to mention that we never had school that Monday.

The rush and excitement of Easter Sunday.  But all the while calm.  All the while serene and joyous.  The women that discovered Jesus’s empty tomb had a rushed and exciting Easter morning too.  It was a tense, worried, and somber excitement though, not calm, no joyous… yet.  Can you imagine how they felt walking to the tomb.  They needed to fully care for Jesus’s body, they loved Him, they worshiped Him.  It was a sad and heart wrenching walk.  Do you think they talked?  Or were they beyond words?  Then to find the tomb empty and Christ gone!  Try to put yourself in their place and comprehend the gamut of emotions they went through that morning.  We have calm and peace and joy now - they did not.  They had sorrow, pain, then shock, surprise, confusion, fear, then major adrenaline rushes, excitement, and an insurmountable joy that was uncontainable!  

Can you feel their feelings?  Jesus has risen!  Jesus died for us and has rising from the dead!  Jesus is God, Jesus is our Lord, Jesus has given us a gift that no one else can give!  A new covenant, a new spirit, a new life!

Feel the glory of Easter morning!  

Absorb the glory of our Risen Lord!