The theme for today is: Sheep.

Psalm 23. A psalm about a sheep.

There are two kinds of people in this world. Sheep. And those who don’t think they’re sheep.

Psalm 23 is a beautiful psalm. For many it’s a favourite. It might just be the most memorized psalm of all. But it won’t resonate, it won’t hit, it won’t comfort, unless you recognize which one of those two kinds of people you are. A sheep. Not exactly flattering. Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. Yes, He is! Psalm 23. I am a sheep. Yes, I am.

I am a sheep. Sheep are dumb, docile, and dirty. They are timid. They are helpless and defenseless. They have no sense of direction. They are weak. They are followers. Without protection they are vulnerable and the easiest of prey. Sheep are dependent. They can’t do one thing good on their own. They lack discernment and judgment. They don’t know what’s good for them. Sheep. An animal to be pitied.

One of the most pitiful sights is when a sheep is cast down. Phillip Keller was once a shepherd, and in his book entitled, ‘A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,’ he wrote:

“A ‘cast’ sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flails away frantically struggling to stand up, without success. Sometimes it will bleat a little for help, but generally it lies there lashing about in frightened frustration. If the owner does not arrive on the scene within a reasonably short time, the sheep will die.”

Sheep need an owner. Otherwise they are helpless and hopeless. Sheep need a shepherd. Without a loving shepherd they cannot survive.

There’s not much a sheep can do on its own. Sheep can’t carry a load. They can’t carry burdens. Other animals can carry things. But not sheep. They’re not built that way. Burdens would crush them.

But there is a glimmer of hope. Sheep can detect strangers. They are afraid when an enemy is nearby. They know where to go when danger lurks. Sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice. Sheep go to the shepherd. Sheep know they need a shepherd. Sheep love their shepherd.

Good shepherds love their sheep. Sheep are valuable. Sheep were a symbol of wealth. If you owned large flocks of sheep you had financial security, status, and influence. Abraham, Jacob, and Job had large flocks of sheep. Sheep that had value. Sheep that were worth protecting. Sheep that needed a good shepherd.

I am a sheep. You are a sheep. Zach is a sheep. We have value. So much value that a Shepherd did everything He could to seek us, find us, and save us. He still does so today. The Lord is my shepherd. More on that next time.

Today’s Updates:

Zach has been pretty active for the past two days. We are thankful that he has been able to rest at night for the most part. When Zach is not sleeping, his eyes are open and he kicks his legs and moves his head around, and he will occasionally grimace. Zach’s heart rate can still go quite high when he is restless. They took an EKG on Zach today to check on his heart rhythms and didn’t find anything unusual, which we are happy about. Zach has started tracking with his eyes (following the motion of objects/people), which is an improvement from before! He will sometimes turn his head towards voices or noises, but does not yet respond consistently to his environment. We are excited to see this improvement, however small. Please pray that God will continue to heal Zach’s brain so that he will be able to wake up fully and communicate with us again one day.

Zach is still on the waiting list for the surgery to remove his feet. We are still not sure when the surgery will be, but once the operation is complete, we will be able to work on transferring Zach to Foothills Hospital in Calgary. Please pray that Zach will be able to have his surgery soon and that all will go well. Pray for peace for Zach and us as well, as this will be another life-altering surgery for him.

Zach had a chest x-ray on Monday morning, and his lungs appear to be in a similar condition to last week. He still has significant pneumonia and a long road to recovery for his lungs. He has now completed three days with his cuff down in his tracheostomy (a step closer to breathing normally). Please join us in thanking God for the progress Zach has made in breathing on his own.

The physiotherapist visited Zach today to assess whether he would be able to sit up in a neuro chair. A neuro chair gives the whole body support (including the neck and trunk) and could allow Zach to sit up and strengthen his torso again and avoid cramping and tightness in his muscles. Unfortunately, Zach became too restless when they tried to transfer him to the chair, so they returned him to his bed. Please pray that Zach will be able to remain calm when they trial the neuro chair again so that he can change positions and keep his muscles healthy.

We continue to thank our God for healing in Zach, knowing that everything is a blessing from God’s hand. We ask that you continue to pray for peace and healing for Zach as we continue down this long road.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

(Psalm 23)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.“ (John 10:27-28)