on pastoring...dreaming of a lamb

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.  (Isaiah 40:12 ESV)

"He will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom..." Made me think of a story my wife often tells about our niece, Amanda, years ago...Amanda and her lamb. So I asked her to write about it. Here is the first part of the story of Amanda and her lamb:

I knew a sheep once. Can’t remember its name, but it belonged to my niece, Amanda, who lived outside the city limits. Her parents, my sister and brother-in-law, raised chickens for meat and eggs, and goats for milk and cheese.

Amanda was a young girl who was active in 4H. Because of her age, she could only participate as a Cloverbud, at a non-competitive level. The rules allowed her to do small animals, like guinea pigs and rabbits, but she was not allowed to show large animals until she reached the age the powers that be had determined would provide protection from some of the dangers involved with large animals. Small animals were fun enough, but the glory and the big awards lay in the large animal barn.

Amanda put a lot of thought into the animal she would show. She discussed this with me one day, and shared with me the logic only a young girl could have. She had considered cows briefly, but as she told me, “they have slimy noses, and that’s just gross.” She considered pigs, but “they’re just gross all over.” Her parents raised goats, so a goat would not be unique enough. But a sheep? Now, there was the animal for her. A little lamb, soft and gentle, bonded to Amanda and no one else, would be the animal that fulfilled her heart and her dreams.

Finally Amanda was old enough for the large animal projects in 4H. The problem was that her family was poor. They could not afford a large pet that did not produce anything of value. Amanda couldn’t bear the thought of her precious lamb being butchered and eaten through the winter, nor could she endure the thought of auctioning it at the end of the fair. She and her dad finally reached a compromise: Amanda would do a breeding project. The ewe would be Amanda’s, but the babies would be her dad’s, although he would allow her the choice of the local butcher or the fair auction at the end of the season.

Now that Amanda’s dad had a financial interest at stake, he became quite interested in sheep. He began an extensive research project, learning to his delight that he could keep the sheep with the goats with very little modifications to the pen. He discovered the care the animal would require, as well as the diseases which could harm the sheep and how to treat them. He got himself up to speed in the qualities of a well bred sheep. He researched breeders to see which ones had the highest number of fair winners, visiting the sheep farms and talking with the breeders to see which of them would be most likely to be a resource for questions that would arise in the future. Amanda dreamed of how the lamb would go from window to window outside the house, watching her as she did her homework and household chores, bleating for her.