Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. Al’s sister from Upper Michigan arrived yesterday afternoon and we are enjoying time to catch up. This morning we are headed for the Lake to have dinner with Ann’s family and to have a hot sauna. It’s been a long while since we have done that. Kurt swam in the lake over the weekend but I don’t think any of us will. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Don’t we all want to really know how much we are loved? Sometimes it is hard to comprehend and we seek signs and gestures shown to us to somehow help us believe that it is true. We read how we are loved beyond words by the One who is love itself, but does our heart really know? What if we are rejected by those closest to us, do we then believe we are unlovable? King David said in Psalm 27:10 (God’s Word), “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will take care of me.“ Yes, the Lord would take him in, no matter what.
Every time I read about the bummer lamb I can get a little more of a grasp of what it means to be loved.
“Every once in a while, an ewe will give birth to a lamb and reject it.
There are many reasons she may do this. If the lamb is returned to the ewe, the mother may even kick the poor animal away. Once an ewe rejects one of her lambs, she will never change her mind.
These little lambs will hang their heads so low that it looks like something is wrong with its neck.Their spirit is broken.
These lambs are called “bummer lambs.” Unless the shepherd intervenes, that lamb will die, rejected and alone. So, do you know what the shepherd does?
He takes that rejected little one into his home, hand-feeds it and keep it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up with blankets and hold it to his chest so the bummer can hear his heartbeat. Once the lamb is strong enough, the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock.
But that sheep never forgets how the shepherd cared for him when his mother rejected him. When the shepherd calls for the flock, guess who runs to him first?
That is right, the bummer sheep. He knows his voice intimately.
It is not that the bummer lamb is loved more, it just knows intimately the one who loves it.
It’s not that it is loved more, it just believes it because it has experienced that love one on one.
So many of us are bummer lambs, rejected and broken. But He is the good Shepherd.
He cares for our every need and holds us close to His heart so we can hear His heart beat.
We may be broken but we are deeply loved by the Shepherd.”
– Author Sheila Walsh, from the book: “Loved back to life”
No matter what your circumstances in life may be, know that you are loved beyond measure!
Challenge for today: Sit in a quiet place and enjoy the Shepherd’s love and thank Him.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy
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