When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
These verses are from John 21:15-17. These are some of my favorite verses because what Jesus means when he says, “Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, and feed my sheep” is that we should feed and care for his people. He is the shepherd, and we are his sheep. He loves us and cares for us.
Recently, I bought 3 sheep for a 4-H project of mine. I named them Renae, Kayla, and Webert. (Guess where I got the names? From Haiti, of course!) We keep them in the red barn with the peeling paint and the barn swallow nests.
(Walking down to the barn)
(Renae is the mama sheep, Kayla has a green eartag, and Webert is on the far left.)
Every morning, I pull on my black slicker boots and head out the door with an apple-juice bottle full of water for them to drink. I have to put new hay in their pen when it gets wet. I have to feed them corn and hay and pour water in their bucket. I have to check on them to see if they are doing well.
As I walk towards the barn every morning, the sheep hear the gravel crunching underneath my boots and run to the edge of their pen to meet me, excited to be fed. When I walk into the pen, though, the sheep run away in fear. (I wonder why? Am I really that scary?!) Every day, though, it seems they become a little more tame. Today, actually, both Kayla and Webert ate hay out of my hand!!
God takes care of our needs, too, just like I take care of the sheep’s needs. We love him and are excited about him. We should fear and respect God, but we also should love him and no matter what, he loves us SO much more.
Anybody can go and feed His sheep, whether it’s on the other side of the planet, or in their backyard.
So go and feed his sheep. I promise you, you won’t regret it.
(Kayla)
Lydia M. Lee 
Are you that scary? Hee. What a question. 🙂 They trust you a little more every day, don’t they?
That’s something to pay attention to. 🙂
Hey Lyla! Yeah, the sheep are getting a lot more tame. I think I actually might try to put Kayla on a halter today. Wish me luck!! 😀
Are you really that scary? And is *God* really that scary? Sometimes, we are afraid of God and run away from Him (think Jonah!), when all God wants to do is to care for us and to have us care for His other sheep. There is a healthy fear of God, Lydia, as you suggest–a deep, reverential fear. He is awesome, and He is mighty. He is GOD! But He is also our good and tender Shepherd. He loves and cares for His sheep. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for His sheep. If He did that for us, what wouldn’t He do for us? He doesn’t want us to fear HIm. He’s our Friend. I love this precious post, and seeing you loving and feeding your little sheepies. Thank you for understanding that this is a spiritual as well as physical undertaking, as you seek to feed sheep on the farm and people on your blog. My family and I are soon to leave for the British Isles, and I think we shall see some woolly sheep lolling on rolling green hills. Can’t wai!! When I see them, I shall think of your post and of my Good Shepherd who will gently llead and care for us on this trip, just as He does every day of our lives. I pray too that I will meet some people-sheep and be able to share with them the food of His Word. I pray He will give me the opportunity to love others like that–just like *you* love others!! God bless you, Miss Lydia, and I shall miss you, but hope to reconnect in late July.
Love
Lynn
P.S. Gotta tell you, Lydia: One of my favorite choruses from Handel’s Messiah is “All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray.” I LOVE singing it! The melismas are curlycue circuitous and fantastically frolicsome, implying that little sheepies just love going blissfully astray. Sin is so much fun……..for awhile. And then it’s awful and painful and leads us where we never wanted to go or thought we’d end up. How I thank God for my Good Shepherd who died for my sins and who guides me along paths of righteousness. If I will but follow Him and not “turn to my own way,” as quoted in the chorus from the Bible, my life will be filled with peace and well-being. I want to live like that, don’t you?
Hi, Lynn! I think I can relate to the Jonah story. My sheep are like Jonah, and I am like God. They run away from me, but I just want to help them and care for them. (Still working on making them tame!!) I hope you have safe travels to the British Isles!!
Thanks,
Lydia 🙂
Thanks for your travel-mercy send-off. Oh, Lydia…..you used the word “tame.’ It’s a profoundly important word. Have you ever read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery? I love reading it in French, but you can get it in English (likely from your library). One of my favorite chapters is about when the Little Prince meets the fox and the fox asks to be tamed by him (I think it is chap. 21). The fox explains that being tamed is an act too often neglected by people. It means to establish ties. THe fox says, “To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . . But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat . . .” THe fox goes on to tell the Little Prince more about the secrets of “taming” him. And then he offers this wisdom to the Little Prince: “Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.” As we continue to surrender ourselves to the Lord, He tames us and He is responsible for us; He takes care of us. And as your little sheep surrender to you, they become tame. And you will develop intimacy with your sheep, Lydia, and you wil become responsible for those you have tamed. I hope this makes even a little sense! I can’t do it justice here, of course. You’d have to read the book! 🙂 Love you, Miss Lydia Margaret!
Lynn
They are so sweet Lydia. I think you are a very loving and caring shepherdess. It is, just as you have said, a calling Jesus has given each of us.
Thank you so much!! That really means a lot to me. God bless you!! 😀
Awesome post, Lydia. Those little lambs are learning to trust you because of the relationship they’re developing with you. The same is true of our faith in Jesus Christ. We trust Him because we have seen Him be faithful as out good shepherd. Our God is amazing.
You are absolutely right, Jennifer!! The lambs are beginning to trust me because they see that I’m there to care for them. I don’t mean them any harm. And it is the same with us and Jesus, you are right. Thank you!!
–Lydia–
Oh Lydia! You are right where the Lord wants you! Feeding those sheep and feeding us with the words of truth that change the world! Thank you sweet Lydia for your bold faith and beautifully woven words. You are a good shepherdess and your sheep are blessed….near and far! Jesus loves you so!
Hugs,
Kelly
Kelly, thank you so much!! That means so much to me. God bless you!!
Lydia
Kelly, don’t you just LOVE Miss Lydia?! Can you believe she writes this well (and in-depthly at ELEVEN?!)