Children's Time "Baby goat/sheep - Me?" (April 21, 2013)

Children’s Time: Baby goat/sheep – Me?



Happy Easter!

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday!

Today our Bible story is Psalm 23.

The Psalms are a collection of songs in the Bible. Psalm 21 sings,

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

“I shall not want” means with God’s love, I have all that I need.

It’s really interesting that the Psalm singer calls God our shepherd, because it means we are God’s sheep.

(Petting Zoo in Victoria)

Have you ever gone to the petting zoo in Beacon Hill park in Victoria and played with the baby goats? 

Last month my family went there. As soon as arrived, we dashed to the goat’s barn first, because we heard that many baby goats were born in that month. As soon as we got there, we saw 10 or so baby goats jumping off from the hay blocks and running and running for fun. My kids and I really loved to see them, especially the way they jumped! I wondered, “Why do they have to jump like this?” (Action.)

The baby goats were so active and free, jumping and running. They just made my family giggle. And, yes, they loved to chew my hair and Peace’s shoelaces.

I wonder about baby sheep. Do they like to jump? Do they love to run like baby goats? I guess they do - they are babies, after all.

But, overall, sheep does not seem to have a reputation for  running and jumping and energetic tricks like goats do. This is what one of my friends told me; sheep are soft and dainty, and when they say baaa, they stick out their tongues and look cute, but they’re not very smart. Sheep can’t always find their way back to the barn. If one sheep starts running just for fun, the others all panic and start running with fear. And sometimes they forget to come in out of the rain and their wool gets soaked and uncomfortably heavy. Sheep can be very easily confused and lost and they can be stubborn and mean and clumsy! Without a shepherd to watch over them, sheep would have a very tough time. 
(resource:  http://onthechancelsteps.wordpress.com/)

On learning this, I wished God could be called our Goat-keeper, because I would prefer being a goat to being a sheep! I would love to look smart! But the truth is, like  a sheep I can easily get confused and lost and be stubborn and mean and clumsy.

It doesn’t matter whether we are more like a baby goat or a grown-up sheep, or both! God looks after us, loves us and leads us, because God knows we are precious. And remember, sheep can jump just like baby goats, sometimes.
 

And baby goats can be very stubborn,

and they can be mean to their friends, sometimes.


 

 

You are a precious child of God. God loves to be a good shepherd to you, loves to be with you, loves to watch over you and is always ready to help you.

Will you pray with me?

Dear Lord,

You are my Shepherd.

Thank you for loving me

and watching over me.

Amen.