Oh how IAT for Conference--Little sheep

IAT = I am thankful

I saw a lovely count down to conference thing on facebook a couple of weeks ago with a challenge to read a conference talk every day. So, I downloaded conference from April to my Kindle and read a talk or two every day, since I also miss a few days at a time. I hope I get them all read. Today I am reading

Establishing a Christ-Centered Home by Richard J. Maynes 

Here is a poem he shared in his talk by C.C. Miller

The Echo

’Twas a sheep not a lamb

That strayed away in the parable Jesus told,

A grown-up sheep that strayed away

From the ninety and nine in the fold.

And why for the sheep should we seek

And earnestly hope and pray?

Because there is danger when sheep go wrong:

They lead the lambs astray.

Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,

Wherever the sheep may stray.

When sheep go wrong,

It won’t take long till the lambs are as wrong as they.

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead

For the sake of the lambs today,

For when the sheep are lost

What a terrible cost

The lambs will have to pay.

I really do believe that some children whether you do every thing right or everything wrong, you can't take the credit. Or the blame. As the case may be. Some children, no matter what you do or don't do succeed or fail on their own or in rebellion. But, in most cases, children are choosing direction based on their environment and experiences. I wonder in how many ways I have strayed, contributing to personality weaknesses or choices in my children, that I will have on my head? Fortunately there is repentance, for me, and for them. And we can always change and ask for forgiveness. I've had to do that more than once with my children. I hope for the most part, the environment they have lived in, is contributing to what I see as bright, capable human beings. I hope they all fly, and shine their lights and feel bad when they do bad. And celebrate when they succeed.

A couple of years ago, I was asked to sing a song in the adult session of stake conference. It was the scariest thing I've ever done in my life!!! To make matters worse, it was a song with lyrics similar to the poem above.

It was called Keeping Sheep and as much as I tried to get through it without tears, I could not. I mean my first missionary was leaving our home that year for cryin' out loud. That was just cruel. I should have said no. Haha. You can listen to the first part of the song at the link below and the lyrics are below that.

Keeping Sheep Listen

Keeping Sheep

I have a little flock of sheep
And they are mine to tend and keep.
And I must guard them every day
For little lambs, when left alone,
Will lose their way.

So many voices say to me,
A sheep fold is no place to be.
Your time in there is dull and slow,
And lambs leave very little room
For you to grow.

Chorus:
So if I ever start to stray,
Deceived by thought of green pastures,
Remind me, Lord, that keeping sheep
Will lead to happier ever-afters.
Will lead to happier ever-afters.

Oh, surely there will come a day
When all the lambs have left my side,
And I am free to roam about,
And go exploring other meadows,
Green and wide.

Yet something whispers in my heart
That when my sheep have left this pen
I’ll long to stoke their little heads,
To draw them close to me
And have them young again.

Repeat Chorus

So while they still are in my care
I pray that I will clearly see
These little lambs within my fold
Are tender gifts the Master Shepherd
Has given me.

See? Do you think you could sing that with all the love of your children in your heart? It was hard.

I am grateful that I have had the experience of tending a flock of little sheep. Almost half of them are grown and on their way and ready to create their own flocks. I have had to remind myself repeatedly as I consider options, desires, directions I can go, that the remaining flock has just as much right to my shepherding as the older ones did. And so, I try to choose things that revolve around them, so that I can continue to point them to the Master Shepherd. I just love my family! They mean everything to me. As long as I have them and my faith, I can do anything.

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