july 2009 newsletter...
oily sheep...
Did you know that sheep can suffer mightily in the summer months? When the pasture is richest? Quite apart from all the other summer bugs, nasal flies plague sheep by buzzing around their heads constantly, trying to crawl up their noses and lay eggs in the mucous membranes. The sheep go almost crazy trying to escape the flies. They will apparently bash their heads against rocks and trees, and sometimes refuse to graze in the open. Awful, isn't it?
And do you know what shepherds do to protect the sheep? They anoint their heads with oil. Every shepherd has his own secret mixture of ingredients, but they smear the oil on the nose and head of each sheep to protect it. I learned all of this valuable sheep trivia from Philip Keller's book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. It was published in 1970, and I highly recommend it. He talks about how good shepherds watch their sheep constantly in the summer, looking for signs of aggravation and restlessness. The oil transforms the behavior of the plagued sheep, so that they are able to enjoy the rich green grass again.
I smiled when I read about the oil, because the metaphor is too perfect. I spent a wonderful month visiting family and friends, "grazing" on the fellowship and love they abundantly blessed me with. Worshipping at St Paul's for a few precious Sundays was like standing in the middle of a huge sunny meadow after months of burrowing through snow for food. Through the summer, though, nasal flies of worry kept nagging at me. I worried about the tumultuous end of the last school year, and what it would mean for this year. I worried about going back to India without the security and fellowship of my parents' presence. I worried about my parents adjusting to life in Atlanta. I worried about my finances. I worried about planning for my classes. I worried about being single. I worried about remembering to buy what I'd need before returning to India. I worried about making time to see everyone...and the list goes on.
One day, I was driving alone and going through a mental checklist. I could feel the panic rising. Then, it was as if God reached down and anointed my admittedly long nose with oil. Out of nowhere, the verse, "The joy of the Lord is my strength" popped into my head. I've sung a song about it my whole life, but I don't remember ever pausing to consider exactly what that means. What does it mean for us to find our strength in the joy of knowing God? I heard a lot about weariness and loneliness and burnout this summer, and I have a sneaky suspicion that joy might be the right antidote. Joy is the protective oil that God smears over us.
If joy is the antidote, can we go looking for it? I think not. Joy is a fruit, a ripeness that emerges as a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit working in us, bringing about growth. We can definitely go looking for God, though. The more I see and know Him at work, the more I experience the joy of His presence. And this joy imparts strength to me. It has already. I saw God working in my family when my brother-in-law's heavy chemo routine ended with him cancer-free. I saw God working to heal wounds in the hearts of some of my close Atlanta friends.
I saw God working to bring my church and my parents together and meet the needs of both. I see God now confronting wrongdoing here and bringing peace back to this community. I see God cultivating friendships for me and watching over me. Joy in seeing Him work in these ways makes me believe he is my Good Shepherd, and I am strong in this joy. I look for God to do more! I pray you see God working around you, and that He will anoint you with the joy of His presence and His care for all of your needs.
Your fellow pilgrim,
Amy