Time to Take a Load Off?

     A few years ago in New Zealand, a sheep wandered from his shepherd and hid out in a cave. He managed to live for six years without detection and amazingly, without becoming dinner for a predator. But all during that time, his wool continued to grow. When he was finally discovered after stumbling out of the cave he had been hiding out in, he could barely walk, his wool had become so overgrown.
    In just a half hour, he was rid of the mass of weight that had been burdening him down (60 lbs. of wool, enough to make twenty men’s suits).
    In the article I read, Dave Thomas, head of sheep studies for the University of Wisconsin said that a Merino sheep like Shrek will grow wool indefinitely.
    When God created sheep, he had people in mind. Sheep cannot survive for long without a shepherd. They were created to be cared for.
    And you are no different. Our lives involve the accumulation of multiple burdens, burdens that need the caring shears of a shepherd to offload us. As sheep were created with a shepherd in mind, we were created with the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20) in mind. You and I were created for God, and we cannot live life to its fullest without him.
    I think of Shrek (the name of the sheep) as a wandering Christian. He wandered off to make his own way, and found himself in isolation, danger, and overburdened. It was not until he returned to his shepherd that he was freed, fed and safe.
    Is it time for you to return?
    “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV).