A Letter to the Shepherd

A Letter to the Shepherd

Dear Shepherd, it’s me again 

Your sometimes overly anxious and slightly agitated sheep again 

I just wanted to update you on how my plans to get us to green pastures are coming along 

Honestly it’s the same sad song 

Everything was going so well until everything went wrong 

Waves of anxiety have tried to drown me and I don’t think that I’ve ever felt so out of control 

Please lead me to still waters 

I desperately need you to restore my soul 

My mind, will and emotions have taken blow after blow and I don’t know what to do 

I went from at least looking like I had everything together to waking up and feeling like I don’t have a clue 

And the only thing that I’m certain of is that with every newfound pain and every wrinkle in my reality comes a reminder: I am not you 

I’m sorry that I ever thought that I was 

Dear Shepherd, please remind me that peace comes when I allow you to take the lead 

Remind me that when I have You, I have everything that I need 

And when I’m tempted to make decisions based upon my own nearsightedness 

Please remind me that only You know the path that is right 

Guide me with Your word and Your presence 

The commandments and the cloud by day and fire by night 

Help me to fall so in love with You that when you ask me to surrender I won’t put up a fight 

Be more to me than the Savior that I need to survive 

Become the Satisfier in whom I delight 

And as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death and the terrain gets tough 

Let that shadow be overshadowed by the reality that You are with me and that Your grace is enough 

Thank you for loving me enough to correct me when I get off course 

And when my enemies tried to stop my forward progress, You prepared a table before me reminding all of us that You are my source 

You anoint me, You heal me 

You appoint me, You refill me 

You sustain me with goodness and chase me with mercy that follows me until my last breath 

And Your plans for me prove that Your passion for me is stronger than death 

And as my final day approaches, please remind me that You are closer still 

Let my homesick heart be reminded that this body is only a tent that will fold at the command of Your sovereign will 

You are Yahweh and I am Yours, invited into Your forever shalom 

I will fear no evil because even death is only a doorway – home. 

Written by Jarrell