Many years ago, a shepherd invited me to her farm to meet her small flock of sheep.  We trudged down a hill by the way of a beaten earth path to a small weathered barn.  These were not white fluffy sheep like I was expecting.  I had an image of clean, soft, white, cuddly, fluffy sheep.  But I quickly realized that image was only found in children’s books and television commercials.  These were real sheep.  They were more grayish than white and terribly dirty.  Not only that but some of them were just plain ugly.  One in particular had a mass of wool missing from the top of its head.  In the gap was a dirty, scabby mess. It had apparently rubbed its head too much on a tree or post. 

The shepherd pointed to each sheep and told us their names.  Most of them looked identical and I was amazed that she knew each one individually, by name.  Well, one of them was obvious to me.  That was “Muffin” with the gaping hole in her woolly head.  As we were leaving, the shepherd joked about having a quiz on all the sheep names.  I quickly picked out Muffin.  The shepherd was amazed and wanted to know how I remembered which one  was Muffin.  I thought to myself, “isn’t it obvious?”, but politely pointed out the gash in its head.  The shepherd seemed surprised, as if the gash hadn’t occurred to her, and replied, “Oh, that’s not fair.  You can’t use that ugly wound to identify her.  That doesn’t show who she is.” 

Decades later that memory popped into my head.  I tarried in the memory, walking down the path and letting my mind’s eye fall upon the shabby group of sheep.  Then the question arose, “Tell me about the shepherd.  What did she say?”  And with that one question God revealed a precious illustration of His character.

We are like the sheep (original, I know).  Many of us have been scarred by others, our decisions, and experiences.  In our minds or even in reality we are identified by those scars.  But wait!  That is not how God identifies you.  He sees who you really are, even beyond what you are able to understand about yourself.  He sees a unique human being who is dear, loved, valued, and gifted with a purpose.

Did you notice how the shepherd knew the sheep so well that she did not even consider the wound in order to identify the sheep?  Only an outsider, one who did not know the sheep would use it for identification.  To the shepherd it was as if the wound didn’t even exist.  She knew it was there and had cared for the wound, but she did not use the injury to characterize the sheep. 

We can also be identified by positive labels.  For example, some may be known for their generosity or musical ability.  What if those abilities were taken away?  Many of us identify ourselves by what we do.  That’s part of why losing a job can be so stressful and depressing.  It’s a loss of identity.  But that’s not how God identifies us.  He gives us gifts to utilize for a time.  Don’t become dependent on your gifts to define who you are.

Let’s pursue the practice of seeing ourselves and others as God sees.  This requires looking past the surface to discover a unique expression of God.  It isn’t easy, but it brings healing and wholeness.

Scripture for this week (links underlined):
– I Samuel 16:7 (For more of the story see I Samuel 9:1-2; 10:22-24; 16:1-13)
– Psalm 139
– Psalm 147
– Hebrews 4:12-13

I’d love for you to share your thoughts and experiences with me.  Please take a moment to leave a reply.  I do desire to hear from you!  Feel free to just enter your first name and last initial or even an alias for comment identification.
– Have you had an experience where your perception of someone changed as you got to know them more?
– Have you experienced a time where you lost a gift?
– What keeps you from seeing yourself as God sees you (or others)?
– Should we use labels?  Are they helpful, do they distract us, or both?