Bummer Lambs

Bummer Lambs

Have you ever heard of “Bummer Lambs?” They’re a real thing! I’ll let my friend, Gloria Youngblood, of Midland, Texas explain:

Every once in a while, a ewe will give birth to a lamb and reject it. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. The shepherd will take the little newborn lamb and care for it. If the lamb is returned to the ewe, the mother may even kick the poor lamb away. Once a ewe rejects one of her lambs, she never changes her mind.

These little lambs will hang their heads so low that it looks like something is wrong with its neck. Their spirit is completely broken. These lambs are called “bummer lambs.”

Unless the shepherd permanently intervenes, the bummer lamb will eventually die, rejected and alone. So, the shepherd takes the bummer lamb into his home, hand-feeds it, and keeps it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up in blankets and hold it to his chest so the lamb can hear his heartbeat.

Once the lamb is strong enough, the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock where it finds its place. But that sheep never forgets how the shepherd cared for it when its mother rejected it.

From that point forward, when the shepherd calls for the flock to come, guess which one responds first?... the bummer sheep. It immediately recognizes the voice of the shepherd and knows that voice intimately. The bummer sheep isn’t necessarily loved more by the shepherd, it just intimately knows the one who loves it.

All of us can claim to have moments, even seasons of life, where we felt like bummer lambs. Some of us, however, have lived much of our lives like a bummer lamb.

Rejected, friendless, disrespected by those who are supposed to care for us. Maybe it’s because of your parent’s divorce or abuse. Maybe you never knew who your parents were. Maybe you were that awkward, somewhat dysfunctional kid that never seemed to be able to keep any friends. Maybe you have/had a disability that kept you from having a “normal” life. Perhaps sickness or disease robbed you of any chance of a normal life… a bummer lamb in the truest sense.

I’m glad that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He sacrificed Himself to give us the opportunity to get past that which is dragging us down… a life without Him.

Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. I’ve come to call those who are sick to change the way they think and act, not to call people who think they don’t have any flaws.”

Let Jesus bring you close to Himself so you can feel His heartbeat…you’ll never be the same.