Sheldon's story - An Easter parable.

Sheldon is a wise old sheep. His age is not known, but those who have been with him for the last 22 years know that he is even older than that.

He told one of his wise stories at last Sunday’s morning service, to those children and adults who were sad at the loss of a family member. Here’s what he said:

The field I live in is a good place to be most of the time. Lots of other sheep live there and we enjoy being together. The farmer is good and provides us with everything we need. There is a stream that runs through the field, and there are times when the grass is long and green and tasty, and at other times it’s a bit dry and hard to find.

Sometimes, though, some of the older sheep fall ill, or just get old and weary, and then the time comes for them to leave the field. We watch them as they wander through a gap in the fence and into the deep, dark wood that runs alongside our field. We’re always sad when that happens, because we know we will miss them.

But one day something happened that changed life in our field for ever. A new sheep appeared at the stream one day, and said that he had come from a field beyond the deep, dark wood. He told stories about life in that other field – what an amazing place it sounded! – and about how we could be there one day and enjoy life as it was meant to be lived, without the things that spoil it.

Some of us believed him and hung on his every word – he spoke like no one else we’d ever heard. Some sheep said ‘Naaah! He’s making it up – don’t believe him!’.

He stayed in the field for a while, and gathered lots of followers. But then he began to talk about going into the deep, dark wood himself. We told him not to do that! We knew that no one had ever gone into the wood and come out again… ‘Stay with us!’ we said. ‘Don’t go into the wood’. But three times he said he must go, and that he would come back again.

Then early one morning, he got up and said that it was the day he must go. We watched as he went through the gap in the fence – we knew that we would never see him again. For days, those of us who had believed in him were terribly sad. Those who hadn’t listened to him laughed at us – ‘Hah! We told you!’ they said. And we were even more sad and confused about what had happened.

But then it happened. Early one morning, on the third day since he had gone, a shout was heard in one corner of the field… ‘He’s back! He’s here! Just as he said!’. I ran as fast as I could to see what was happening. And there he was. I wasn’t sure if it was him to begin with – his fleece was all matted and covered in thorns and blood – I had to look closely, but IT WAS HIM! He was back - just as he said. The he spoke – in that wonderful way that he always had: ‘I’ve done it!’ He said. ‘It is finished!’ We asked him what it was he had done!

‘I’ve cut a path through the deep, dark wood. There is now a way to the field that I have been telling you about!’

This was even better news – not only was he alive, but he said that if we followed him, he would be able to take us to that field when the time came for us to go. Our hearts were filled to overflowing with…well, with happiness and excitement and joy and feelings that I just can’t describe.

But then came some sad news – he had to leave us again. ‘This time I am going back to the field beyond, to prepare a place for you.’ He said ‘And when I come back I will take you to be with me there.’

And then that was it, he was gone again.

But that wasn’t quite the end – because somehow we know that he is still with us – he has changed life in the field forever. And those who trust him don’t fear the deep, dark wood anymore. It’s just a way through to the ‘life’ in the field that we got so excited about when he spoke.

I love life in our field, especially since the day that I started to believe him and trust him - but I can’t wait for that day when I am with him where he is.

Thanks for listening to my story!