“Girls,” called Mother, “Come and see what John has found.”
We were downstairs in a moment, for we had seen John coming up from the barn with a queer-looking bundle in his arms. He laid it gently by the fire, and opened the blanket to show up the smallest and weakest of lambs. It was only a few hours old, shivering and just barely alive.
“Oh, Mother,” I cried, “may we have it?”
“Yes,” said Mother, “it is yours if you can get it to live.”
Our little lamb lived indeed, and we called her Daisy. No lamb in barn or field ever had so much loving care as our Daisy, till it was a wonder that she did not die from over-feeding. Mother said we were very foolish. “The Lord is my Shepherd,” she added softly, “and I’m glad that He is wiser than that in caring for His little lambs!”
No doubt Mother was right, for Daisy’s own way was her ruin, as you shall see. Her manners grew unbearable, and she had. a naughty way of bunting over milk pails or furniture, just for fun. We loved to play with her, but her worst enemy was the other lamb in my sister’s big mirror. One day she smashed the big looking glass to pieces!
This was enough for Father. Our Daisy, must be sold, and sold she was and slaughtered too, and all our tears and entreaties could not save her.
Mother dried our tears and told us that Father was right it could not be helped, “You couldn’t save your naughty little lamb,” she told us, “but the Lord Jesus can save His naughty little lambs.” You see, we are all self-willed by nature, and we bring plenty of trouble upon ourselves by our sinful ways. We deserve to die, and all the tears of those who love us cannot save us from God’s righteous judgment.
The Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep. Daisy is dead, but the Lord’s little lambs will live with Him forever because He died instead of them. How good to shelter in His loving arms, and to know that His ways are best, now and always. Jesus said,
ML 04/16/1950