The Straying Little Lamb

The Straying Little Lamb

The shepherd loved his little lamb, And gave it tender care, And followed it with his loving eyes.

As it wandered here and there, And as he sat by his gazing flock-Who so meekily his voice obeyed, he pondered sadly his little lamb;as again it would stray.

The little lamb had a loving heart, And adored his shephered true, But would turn aside and seek his own way as lambs will often do.

With his gentle voice the shepherd called to his loved and straying lamb come back little one for you are not safe unless you are where I am.

But still the lamb would soon forget, And unthinkingly wander away, And not really noticing what he did, From the shepherd's side would stray.

Until one day the shepherd kind, took his rod in hand, What he then did seemed so cruel that the lamb could not understand.

for with one sharp and well aimed blow down the rod so swiftly came; that it broke the leg of the little lamb, And left it crippled and lame.

Then the little lamb with a cry of pain fell on his knees, and looked at his shepherd as though to say'Won't you explain this please'. Then he saw the love in his shepherd's eyes as tears rolled down his face.

as he tenderly set the broken bone, And bound it back in place. Now utterly helpless he could not even stand,

He must trust himself completely to his shepherd's loving hand.

Then day by day til' the little lamb was healed, From the flock he was kept, And carried about in his shepherd's arms , And craddled near his heart.

And the shephered would whisper gentle words into his now listing ear, Thus he heard sweet words of love that other sheep could not hear;

he felt the warmth of the shepherd's arms and the beat of his faithful heart; Until it came a blessing to seem by his weakness to be set apart,

Everyneed of the little lamb-By his shepherd so fully was met, That through his brokeness he learned'What he never again would forget'.

And as the broken bone was healed and once more became whole and strong, The lamb would follow closly along.

Thus at the shepherd's side he walked so closely day by day, for once a lamb has a broken leg it will never again stray;

For the cord's of love had bound it so, In it's hour of weakness and need,

That it had no desire to wander away, When once again it was free; Could it be you are broken today and you cannot understand the painful blow of the shepherd's rod, Nor believe it came from his hand.

He only seek's by this painful thing fro a time to call you apart-To craddle you close in his loving arms and draw you near his heart, So look up in to your shepherd's eyes and earnestly seek his face, and prove in the hour of weakness and need the sufficiency of his grace.