WEDNESDAY 29 JULY 2020

Good morning friends,

I wonder what you have been doing since I last put up a reflection on this site?

I have been continuing to sort through items such as clothes, books, assorted paper work and cards to see what needs kept and what can be thrown away.

The painting below is one of a similar one I have on a card I was sent some eighteen months ago.

It reminds me of the story Jesus told of the shepherd who has gone out to find the lost sheep, and finding it he places it on his shoulders and carries it home rejoicing.

On the day I first received the card I felt quite lost and the image on the card and words contained in it did much to lift me up and carry me through difficult days.

The word in the card said, “I love you” and there was also prayer for my healing.

I looked at it many times in the first few days and weeks, less as I felt better, and in recent months have hardly looked at it at all.

I knew it was there of course, for it sat on my window ledge, but somehow I could trust in the words written in it without having to keep looking at them.

So.....the other day this card was one of the ones I looked at as I was clearing and sorting things out.

To my utter amazement when I looked into the card, all the writing had disappeared, it was a blank sheet.

Immediately verses from Scripture popped into my head.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always accuse, neither will He keep his anger forever. He does not treat us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:8-12

The Good Shepherd, having found the lost sheep, and brought it home rejoicing, does not bring the sheep before him each day and berate it for wandering away and getting lost.

No, he tenderly places it back into the sheepfold, and cares for it as he does for the other ninety nine.

Good news for us, “who all like sheep have gone astray.”

If you are feeling lost today, I suggest you read Luke chapter 15.

And may God bless you this new day.