Ordinary Time

Pause

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
much we need Thy tender care;
in Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
for our use Thy folds prepare:
blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Dororthy A. Thrupp in “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” (1836)

 

Listen

The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing.

He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; he keeps me alive.

He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name.

Psalm 23:1-3

Think

As a kid, I loved to lay in the soft grass and look at fluffy clouds imagining what I saw. Usually I saw animals, or I imagined giants living in castles on top of those enormous clouds. I didn’t have a care in the world; I just rested in creation.

The writer of this psalm (song) gives us beautiful imagery about God our Creator and Heavenly Parent. God is like a protective, loving shepherd. In God’s goodness, God desires the very best for our lives. In our busyness and stress, God invites us to lay down and rest in the lush, grassy meadow of God’s grace. God leads us to restful, quiet waters to be refreshed. God guides us, if we listen, so that our lives will honor God and draw others into the fold of God’s family.

Take time to lay in the grass, even if only in your mind, and remember that you are deeply loved – not because of what you do, but just because you are.

Stella Perrin

Pray

Good Shepherd, help me to follow your voice today and to trust that you know what is best for me.

Amen.

Go

Go, cherished child of God, trusting in and listening to the Good Shepherd to guide and care for you.