Tuesday, August 9, 2022
           (click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Ezekiel the shepherd
Be not rebellious like this House, but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.
And in my silence, in my youth, in my house, I shuddered and fell back on the bed. This was not a dream. Dust motes blew around in the corner. My dog whimpered and ran out the door. Even my cat, still as a summer day in the desert, eyes wide, looked at me.
Expectantly.
It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me, holding a scroll, written, which the Lord God unrolled before me. Written on it was lamentation and wailing and woe!
My friends made a scroll for me a few days ago when I returned from the hills, and it said in many colors, “WELCOME!” I laughed when they unrolled that scroll. We belonged to a happy village and it was great to be back with them. They had nothing but hope for the future.
This scroll was so different. It frightened me. I watched my warm black cat, Felopsis. She and I both arched our backs. God’s words felt nothing like a warm welcome, or a hopeful smile, or a sweet bowl of milk. Laced with spikes and razors, DO NOT DRINK. I sat up again. An imaginary string pulled my head toward the ceiling and I sat up very very straight.
God spoke. Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll and then go to speak to the house of Israel.
This was not an invitation to accept or refuse. Here I am Lord, send me. In the pasture with my dad’s sheep I prayed just that prayer, over and over. Our forefather Isaiah was a young man once. God came and filled his mouth with words. Now a hundred years later in Babylon, is God filling up my own mouth now?
Feed your belly with this scroll I am giving you. So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. And the Lord God said, “Son of man, go now. Go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.”
With the sheep one night in the shadows, as the fire fell into darkened embers, I sat up suddenly on my sleeping robe. A tiny bleating voice caught my ear. My friend Azariah told me when he had lost a lamb. He tied himself to a strong vine and climbed out into the chasm to reach her. She shied away, he steadied himself and sang her song. Then she came to him. He took her home.
Azariah’s story rang in my ears. I stood up and listened again, and followed the sound, and in the darkest part of the pasture one lamb cried. I whispered to her and she looked at me, and she came running to me, and I took her home.
Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever RECEIVES one child such as this in my name receives me.
I knew a feral cat once, who lived out of her shadow and would not let anyone touch her. Many of my neighbors refused to look at her, or feed her, or give her milk. That frightened cat hid in the dirt, scrawny and starving.
I wept one night for this foolish cat. I even prayed for her. I asked God to bring peace into her dirty house. Then I left her milk and relaxed in God’s joy. I wished her well.
See that you do not despise one of these little ones. Their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
God is going to give me words. I will be a shepherd of sheep no longer, but a messenger from God for men.
(Ezekiel 2, Psalm 119, Matthew 11, Matthew 18)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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