Table Salt: Shepherding
My daughters’, Paisley and Lola, worked diligently trying to get a new sheep to nurse her lamb. The aggressive newborn searched for the warm milk. When he even got close to the source, the mom would push him away. Using her head, she butted the baby to prevent him from nursing. In order to get the important colostrum into the stomach of the fresh lamb, the girls were left with few options.
The first thing they did was put a halter on the mom and hold her still, giving the newborn an opportunity to nurse. The baby wanted to suckle and be close to its mom, but she wasn’t having it. As soon as the mom was released from the halter, she began pushing her offspring away again.
Every few hours, the girls repeated the process. Haltering the sheep, putting the lamb up to the teat, and ensuring he got a chance at milk was the record playing on repeat.
Knowing we are facing bitter cold temperatures and the winter conditions are less than favorable, I offered my daughters an out. They protested, convincing me that they were the best persons to care for the lamb. Without question, Paisley and Lola bundle up every few hours to get the lamb latched onto its mom.
The ewe fusses around and doesn’t want to nurse the baby. She certainly isn’t doing it willingly. This is not the first time we’ve experienced an ewe rejecting her lamb. Whenever it happens, my daughters are saddened. It’s hard to comprehend why a mom wouldn’t love and want to take care of her baby. The girls question why the rejection is taking place.
Paisley and Lola empathized with the orphan by smothering the lamb in cuddles and love. Finding it cruel and unfair, the shepherdesses are devoted to filling in the gap. As the lamb gains strength and grows, it needs more nutrients. In addition to haltering the mom to allow the lamb access to her utter, the girls began supplementing with powdered milk in a bottle as well.
Out of love, the girls promised the lamb they would take care of it no matter what they had to do, day and night and in any weather condition. When the lamb was still hungry after nursing what little it could from its impatient mother, my girls brought it to the door to mix up a warm bottle.
As I watched them work with the lamb to use the bottle, I thought of how God cares for us. We don’t always have people in our lives that are capable of love. Humans fall short and gaps are left open. It’s in trusting God to meet all of our needs that we are truly cared for. Rejection happens. People and circumstances push us away. It’s God who comes alongside us to nurture us through His promises. His enduring love dilutes every hurtful situation.
When you feel neglected, alone, weak, and struggling, call on the Shepherd. He wants to nurture rejection and fill your heart with complete peace and understanding. Placing God in the missing parts of our hearts is where contentment is found.
“Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!”
Psalms 66:20
Contact Ashley at ashley@tippgazette.com
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Tippecanoe Gazette
Attn: Ashley Spring McCarroll
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Tipp City, Ohio 45371