Shepherds
Shepherds
By Becky Watson
The most wonderful time of the year - is over.
As I write this, I am simultaneously longing for the Christmas spirit to linger just a bit longer, and feeling claustrophobic about all the Christmas clutter. (How is it SO FUN to put up, and then SO OVERWHELMING a month later?!)
We have heavy things happening in our family right now, and I had to dig deep this year to feel the magic. I read A Christmas Carol, I watched all the movies, I spear-headed neighborly service projects, and papered our house with cut-out snowflakes, ala Elf.
I also studied Luke 2.
And I’ve been thinking about shepherds.
So let’s backtrack to my heavy. Sometimes I get bogged down with the crabbiness of teenagers; they seem to hate family activities and anything remotely warm and fuzzy. So I ask myself – what’s the point? I look at my little children (who love family activities and all things warm and fuzzy) and think … if you’re going to grow up and despise this, why bother?
(Spoiler alert: I was listening to the wrong inner voice. The one that tells lies and exaggerates and wants me to be miserable.)
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the various struggles and difficulties of those I love best. And I often feel lonely, underappreciated, and unseen as I try my best to nurture my little flock. I feel my efforts have no tangible effect; they will choose what they will choose despite my fervent desires and hopes. SO WHY BOTHER WITH ALL THIS EFFORT – if in the end they will do what they darn well please?
The answer, in its simplest form, is: so I will get to know Jesus.
So – back to shepherds.
They were the humblest of blokes. No one special. No one important. Just regular dudes taking care of their sheep. I bet they got bored. I bet they got annoyed. I bet their charges wandered off time and time again, and they had to chase down the fuzzy butts ad nauseum. It would be easy to think – WHY BOTHER?
And then – they got to know Jesus.
The scriptures say that, “There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2: 8). The 1828 dictionary defines “abide” as: “to be, or exist, to continue; to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for anytime indefinitely…To continue permanently or in the same state; to be firm and immovable.”
They were firm and steadfast through the night. Despite the boredom. Despite the lack of tangible results. Despite the fact that they were most likely very lonely, underappreciated, and unseen. Despite it all, they were loving and protecting and continuing with their little flock. And they got to know Jesus.
As I studied one of the most-studied scriptures of all time last month, I felt the Spirit comfort my soul. The truth is, I don’t do all the warm and fuzzy stuff for my children. I do it for me. I do it so I can know Jesus.
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