Lambs
I really like lambs.
Yes, they are very needy and love to follow, but they are indeed cute.
If you have chapped hands, just rub your fingers through their wool and the lanolin will make you feel a lot better.
Mom used to make some great sweaters from their shearings. Her ability with the knitting needles turned ivory yarn into Irish fisherman masterpieces for the whole family...matching caps as well.
In Luke 2:8-9 it says that "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified."
Some might not realize that the lambs that they camped in the fields to protect were destined to become blood sacrifices on the altar of the great temple in Jerusalem. Yes, Bethlehem was where the lambs came from.
Also the place where the "Lamb of God" came from, aka "the good shepherd".
Lambs have been very important for quite a while. Do you know what kind of blood was put on the doorposts with hysop so the Hebrew people would have the angel of death pass over their houses and spare their firstborns?
Anyway, enough of the history lesson and back to the story.
One day my brother showed up with four fleecy critters in the back of his van.
He had picked up the little Dorsets from Cornell on his way back from visiting his girlfriend at Alfred State.
They were cute beyond words. They bounced all over the place. Barbed wire had no effect as they bounced off of it. Woven wire, though expensive was the only way to contain them. So we worked hard to build them a nice pasture.
It was very nice to walk around with the little flock. They'd follow you anywhere, bah,bah, bah.
I'm not going to say much about what happened to them. I'll just say that they didn't find an altar, but they did go well with garlic and mint jelly.
So at this time when the shepherds were protecting, camping out in the fields and getting themselves terrified, I'd just like to tell you, if you're a lamb, be careful of the shepherd you follow.
One will lead you to overwhelming joy, while others will lead you to untold sacrifice and slaughter. Be careful, lambs.
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10
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