STAYING NEAR THE SHEPHERD
A lonely sheep without a Shepherd has the potential to be in big trouble. Sheep tend to hang around in flocks; and very often mimic the behavior of the others. For instance if one was to find good pasture it wouldn't be long before they were all at it ! This too can be true in life if you hang around with people that do good or bad; it won't be long before you too could be running parallel with them behaving in the same manner.
People quite often use the term 'black sheep of the family'; don't necessary assume this is a bad thing at times we can learn from the individual doing something not quite the norm, and as long as that sheep stays within the flock it can show its individuality visually and personally and this can be a healthy thing. A good shepherd tends to his sheep knowing that each one is different and knowing them well enough to know how far to let them stray. We know that if one was to hang around the cliff tops then it's inevitable that he'll come down with a bump ! It's much better to listen for the shepherds voice leading you to safer more peaceful places to pasture and be in a good place for good simple guidance. Sure, we can all want to be in high places from time to time; these places can give a rush of excitement but tend to be a short lived experience and always seem to have a price to pay.
If a sheep was cooped up indefinitely; although it would be very safe, it would probably show no signs of life and individuality this shows that we need to have a balance in life that lets us show character and identity but be humble enough to know that we need the leading of our good shepherd and use his hand book on life..............