He Restores My Soul

Sunshine yesterday and snow today. Two of my favorite forms of weather. Give me anything but plain gray days! 

I shared yesterday about struggling with contentment while being home and how I'm reading a book called:

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23

Each chapter in the book focuses on a different verse from this psalm, and a verse that I've been meditating on is He restores my soul (vs 3).

In this chapter, the author talks about something called casting. To be cast means for an sheep to be on it's back, feet in the air, with no way to turn over and get back on her feet. A ewe (a female sheep) can easily become cast when she lays on her back, trying to rest, but finds herself rolling back too far. Her feet leave the ground and enter the air. She lays there and struggles, trying to get her feet back on the ground. Meanwhile, the gases in her stomach cut off her oxygen, if she isn't helped she will slowly die.

A shepherd that cares for his sheep is always on the look out for sheep that might find themselves cast and helpless. When he finds one of his sheep in this position, he runs to her and sets her back on her feet. Usually he even has to rub her legs and body and help her readjust to being on her feet. She's wobbly for a bit, but then she returns to her state before being cast. 

There are times when I feel like the ewe who finds herself helplessly cast. How fitting is it that humans are compared to sheep? I am constantly in need of my Good Shepherd, especially during seasons when I feel like I'm cast. 

I've been in a season of life lately that feels like that. I'm helpless. I have no way to get up or get back on my feet on my own. That's when my Good Shepherd comes and shows his loving care and kindness by placing me back on my feet, reminding me that He is the one taking care of me in any and all situations. 

Today's snow feels like a gentle reminder of that. It might not sound like a good reminder, since most people don't like snow, but snow is a precious gift from the Lord to me. I usually pray for it, and today it came. 

The Lord is restoring my soul and putting me back on my feet. 

Much like I am dependent on my Good Shepherd, my little buddy, Spice, is dependent on his good humans. And he loves the snow too. 

Sunshine AND Snow!!