Bless My Wanderin’ Heart
Alright, glory be, Buttercup, git on up here on this here front porch an’ take yourself a real deep breath like you’re a‑tryin’ to be calmin’ down a real skeerd lil’ ol’ rooster that jus’ spotted a fox in the henhouse ‘cause we’re ‘bout to to be ‘a-talkin’ ‘bout sheep. An’ I ain’t ‘a-talkin’ ‘bout the real cute lil’ storybook kind o’ sheep. I’m ‘a-talkin’ ‘bout the wool-covered wanderers that’ll make you wonder if God done gave them brains or jus’ gone an’ stuffed ‘em with extra fluff in their heads.
Yet 1 Peter 2:25 says, “Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.” So, here we are, ‘a‑standin’ ‘round like woolly lil’ wanderers, bless our sheepish lil’ ol’ hearts.
Now, I’ll be ‘a-havin’ to admit that I always wished Jesus had compared us to dolphins ‘cause dolphins are real smart. They can read them there symbols, solve puzzles, and probably balance a checkbook better than half the folks in some families. But, no, Jesus done looked at humanity and said, “Sheep. Yep. That’s the one.” Sheep are real vulnerable, easily spooked, and sheep done got it together ‘bout like a possum ‘a-tryin’ to do some tap-dancin’. If one sheep done walks off a cliff, the rest of em’ jes’ say, “Well, alright then,” and all of em’ other sheep jes’ follow right along and go to jumpin’ off that there same cliff to be all dyin’ together..
Isaiah 53:6 tells us, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” And if that there don’t describe us, I don’t really know what does. We done fall for the same doggone lies, the same doggone traps, the same doggone nonsense, generation after generation after generation. We’re all strayers by our nature. We go to ‘a-wanderin’ off like a lil’ ol’ goats that done spotted a hole in the fence and jus’ had to go an’ be ‘a-seein’ what was on the other side.
But here’s the real good news, Buttercup. Our Shepherd is not the kind to shrug His shoulders and say, “Well, that one’s done gone.” Luke 15:4-6 done tells us that He leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one lil’ ol’ wanderin’ sheep. And when He done finds that there lost sheep, He don’t scold it. He scoops it right up, throws it right over His shoulders, and calls all the neighbors in to come an; be ;a-celebratin’ that that there lil’ ol’ sheep was done found. That’s real love that runs deeper than a well in the heat of July.
And Psalm 23 done reminds us jus’ why ‘a-bein’ sheep ain’t so bad after all. “The Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows. He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength” (Psalm 23:1-3). Real smart sheep done be ‘a-stayin’ close to the Shepherd. Real dumb sheep go to wanderin’ off and getting’ stuck in bushes.
Father, help me be ‘a-stayin’ close to You. Be ‘a-keepin’ my feet from ‘a-wanderin’, my heart from ‘a-strayin’, and my woolly head from ‘a-forgettin’ who is ‘a-leadin’ me. In Jesus name, Amen.
And, Buttercup, just be ‘a-rememberin that even the most scatterbrained sheep is gonna be ‘a-findin’ peace when it finally gits settled near the Shepherd. May your feet stay real steady, your path stay real clear, and your heart stay real tuned to the One who done never stops ‘a-comin’ after you. And as you learn to trust His leadin’, you’ll be discoverin’ that every step taken close to Him becomes a step toward the life your soul has been ‘a‑longin’ for all along.
With joy,
Gwen
