In 1986 a book was published titled “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten”. It shot to the top of the NY Times best seller
Brothers and sisters All I really need to know I learned in primary. I am a child of God, Jesus said love everyone, I feel my savior’s love, Love one another, I’m trying to be like Jesus.
How can we try to be more like Jesus? I love that the word try is in there. I believe we can do it by trying to do the things he did.
There are over 150 different names that refer to Jesus Christ in the scriptures. One of my favorite is The Good Shepherd. Can we try do what he did as the Good Shepherd? Can we become Shepherds?
Once a month for the past 8 years I receive a phone call where the caller ID shows Brennan. When I say hello I know exactly what will follow –it will sound like this - Biisshopppp! It’s Brennan. I’m just calling to see how you are doing. How’s work? – How’s your family? He’s calling to check on me because he is genuinely concerned. Brennan was a member of our YSA ward.
Brennan was born prematurely and was not expected to live. He had developmental issues. He was always a little behind the rest in his age group. In 2005 when Brennan was 11 years old he became lost at scout camp on a Friday. Immediately the call went out for search and rescue to begin. Brennan had been taught to not talk to strangers, so when he heard people on horseback not realizing they were looking for him he left the trail, he hid and prayed. After 4 days Brennan’s parents Toby and Jody were beginning to think the worst. But around 2 pm on Tuesday, one of the volunteers on a 4 wheeler saw Brennan ahead on the trail. News stations around the country called it a miracle Brennan had been found alive. Over 4000 people participated in that search
4000 people searching for the one . That is quite the the opposite of what is recorded Ezekiel 34 when the Lord rebuked the shepherds for not taking care of the sheep. He said.
“My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
But then he continues:
“Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
I will feed them in a good pasture – There shall they lie in a good fold
I (the Lord) will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick"
None of us want to be looked at as lost, or broken or sick – so who is the Lord talking to here?
We gain some insight from a parable Jesus gave when the Pharisees and Scribes murmured and said of Him–“This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. (Can you imagine that? Not only does he receive them, but he invites them to sit a table and eat with him)
We all know the parable - A shepherd leaves the ninety nine sheep and goes into the wilderness to find one lost sheep. When I was a young missionary I always thought – I’m glad I’m not lost and don’t need someone to come rescue me. I’m one of the 99. I was wrong.
Luke 15:7 refers to -Ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Now wait a minute. The only just person who needs no repentance is Jesus Christ. So who is this story about? Who are the lost sheep? Each and every one of us. Me, Melinda, President Dustin, you – the Lord has promised that he will seek us out – so if we are ALL lost why then does the parable speak of just one lost sheep? Because that is how the savior ministers – one by one. As if each one of us are his sole focus. And when he finds us and we recognize his voice, he places us on his shoulders and carries us home rejoicing. For that reason I WANT to be one of his lost sheep.
Another reason I want to be one of his sheep is this -
When the Savior talks about the day of judgment and the criteria he will use to determine who inherits his kingdom. He says “ The Son of man shall come in his glory and all nations shall be gathered and He shall separate them one from another – And He shall set the sheep on His right hand and say - Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Then he tells them what they had done to inherit that celestial glory.
“For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked and ye clothe me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison and ye came unto me.”
We know the Lord went on to say that those things were done unto him because they were actually done unto the least of these – his brethren. I love that he calls the least of us his brothers and sisters.
In essence, the Lord is saying -what you did, unto the least of my brothers and sisters is the same thing I said I would do in Ezekiel 34.
You sought that which was lost, you brought again that which was driven away, you bound up that which was broken, and you strengthened that which was sick. Come – inherit the kingdom prepared for you.
He is saying – you did what I asked Peter to do to show his love for me. You fed my sheep.
So– can we still be good shepherds when we have our own problems and troubles to deal with. When life’s burdens seem too much to bear. Can we be shepherds when the wolf is at our door - Luckily for us not only is Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, but he is also the Lamb of God. And that title is His because He was THE sacrificial lamb – who allowed His blood to be spilled to make everything right for us. Even when it seems we have lost everything He is able to magnify our efforts and provide compensatory blessings -yea an hundred fold.
He did that for a man who was a big part of Brennan’s lost in the mountains story – The man who organized the majority of the 4000 volunteers to search for Brennan was Kevin Bardsley whose 12 year old son Garrett had gone missing from a scout camp a year earlier and was never found. Instead of becoming bitter, after losing his son, instead of becoming despondent and cursing God, Kevin allowed the fire of adversity to refine him through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He vowed that whenever he heard of a child lost in the mountains he would be there to with others to search, and to provide comfort to the family.
I would imagine that Kevin went through periods of wondering -If God loves me so much and is so powerful, then how could he allow pain and suffering . How could he allow my son to perish in the wilderness.
We know that when we are resurrected all of our mortal bodily imperfections will be gone –all of them. There is one exception. Jesus Christ - I think one of the reasons that the Savior chose to leave in his resurrected body the marks in his hands and his feet and in his side was to remind us that painful, unfair and terrible things happen even to the pure and perfect. The marks are signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn’t love you - It is quite the opposite - they are a reminder that His love is whole and complete. Because He is both the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God Kevin’s reunion with Garrett will be glorious and all missed blessings and experiences will be restored an hundred fold.
I love the words of the hymn, Dear to the heart of the Shepherd
Hark! he is earnestly calling,
Tenderly pleading today:
“Will you not seek for my lost ones,
Off from my shelter astray?”
(And then our answer to that question)
Make us thy true under-shepherds;
Give us a love that is deep.
Send us out into the desert,
Seeking thy wandering sheep.”
Out in the desert they wander,
Hungry and helpless and cold;
Off to the rescue we’ll hasten,
Bringing them back to the fold.
Brennan was lost on a Friday – we’ve all heard that after dark Fridays Sunday will come. But sometimes Sunday comes and our prayers aren’t answered - But Tuesday will come or Wednesday or next year or eternity. Brennan was found -and not only has he found the Good Shepherd but he has become a shepherd. He calls ME – to check on ME.
I have been humbled as I have watched how so many of you shepherd each other. You have become examples to me of the things I learned in Primary: Love one another, Jesus said Love everyone. I am a Child of God. I’m trying to be like Jesus.
Thank you for reminding me that it is the trying that is important. And that when we try and stumble we can get up and try again. We can be forgiven. We can stumble again and get up and try again and be forgiven. That is the plan.
Listen to these words that were not part of the original Children’s hymn “I’m trying to be like Jesus”, but I think we should add them
I’m Trying to be like Jesus but stumbling along the way
I Struggle to live as he did in all that I do and say.
But tho I may falter and make the wrong choice
I find hope in forgiveness as the still small voice whispers
Trust in the Savior And know this is true
His grace is sufficient for me and for you
His love is still constant, repent and fear not for these are the things Jesus taught
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