"The Lord... Restores My Soul."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, empathy, compassion, and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance. I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Psalm 23:1-3
¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
²   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;^*
3   he restores my soul.^*
He leads me in right paths^*
   for his name’s sake.


1) "...I shall not want;" "...lie down;" "...green pastures;" "...still waters;" "...he restores my soul;" "...shepherd;" "...makes me;"


2) I remember in the confusion, busy-ness and bewilderment of my first week of seminary, I often jokingly "bleated" in the hallways like a sheep, following the flock from one room/event to another, trusting the flock would get me where I needed to go, I was so overwhelmed.  I often rankle at the notion that I should be a sheep.  I am no sheep.  Even at my most obedient, I'm no sheep.  Of course, we've associated meek and mild with sheep... "sheep being led to slaughter" is the expression isn't it?  I've seen baby sheep leaping and playing in their pen.  Nothing frolics like a lamb, unless its goats.  And as Plato pointed out... shepherds shear and eat sheep.  So this metaphor has some strong "is not's" going on, which simply means it is a healthy metaphor.  God does guide me.  And seriously... I have no idea where we are going.  I do trust that God will restore my soul.  Again and again, I am restored.  I am so incredibly for the access I have to "green pastures" and "still waters."  Move after move after move, living in all four western provinces to study and work, I have always had ample access to green pastures and still waters, and my soul has been restored.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To acknowledge the "is" and "is not" of a metaphor.  To continue trusting the shepherd, especially when I don't know where we are going.  Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude for continual restoration.


"Holy One, make us, lead us, restore us."


Breathprayer: "The Lord... restores my soul."