“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;” 1 Peter 5:2

THE question came from my lovely wife. And, depending on what we’ve done recently or upon what I have planned, it CAN be an irritating one. “So what are we eating tonight?” THE question can be loaded. Like last night. I told her my idea and she said, “if I don’t eat a salad tonight I’m gonna kill somebody!” “WHAAA?” I was shocked, because Katie doesn’t get serious about food. But the look on her face showed… she was now!

When it comes to food, I’m more picky than her. Since she’s at her job all day, the mystery of “what’s for dinner” has been picked up by me! SOMETIMES, like last night, she doesn’t LIKE what I plan. When that happens, it’s easy to take the rejection personally. A simple comment like, “the meat was too tough,” can make me feel like it was MY job to make sure the cow was relaxed when I killed it! And I’ve never killed a cow in my life!

This week at church, the subject of how to give and take criticism came up. It came up because “I” brought it up. I had just read an article about it and was intrigued. It is MY job, as the King James Version says of this verse, to “Feed the Flock of God.” For the last 10 months that hasn’t been easy. Lots of sheep don’t WANT fed or don’t LIKE what’s in the trough! I’ve gone to take the bleatings, or lack thereof, personal!

I am honored to have the best dog gone herd of sheep there is. And since I don’t HAVE a dog, I am it! Having been ‘it’ for so long, and growing up in a house where my dad was always ‘it,’ I know that it is a fine line between ‘supplying’ and ‘force feeding.’ Every once in a while, I cross it. But thank God I’m reminded when the “eager to serve” meter tips to “I’m gonna kill someone!”

The term the writer of the article used to describe herself was as a “serial-advice-giver.” Standing in the middle of the room with all eyes on me, the ‘staff’ hit me hard. It was embarrassing!! And I KNEW the shepherd who threw it! Jesus was simply showing me that I had crossed the line! I had taken the comment, “what’s for dinner,” WAY to personally.

I care! Sometimes too much! But that care comes with a problem because, SOMETIMES…the sheep don’t! And OFTEN…what has slipped into the herd is not a sheep at all! It is times like this that I have to take a break, back off and ignore the bleating (or lack thereof). Even Jesus honors the free will of the flock. If they don’t like what He’s serving, He LETS them go graze where they wish.

After some suggestions from some sheep who love me, I made adjustments. Yesterday, my wife got salad, I took a break, and I’m working on a cure to not force feed those who don’t want what’s on the menu. I’ve also returned the flocks $50,000 bonus. Those dog gone, flocking sheep…don’t they know I can’t be bribed!!!???