This morning, as we headed out to feed the dogs and our bottle calf, something didn’t look quite right.
Most of the herd was there.
But Samson and Grace, our livestock guardian dogs, were nowhere to be seen. One of our cows was missing too, along with four calves.
On a farm, when animals aren’t where you expect them to be, your mind can quickly start running through everything that could be wrong.
Did they get through the fence?
Did something spook them?
Is one of them hurt?
But strangely, I wasn’t worried.
In fact, I had a sense of calm.
The reason was simple: the dogs were missing too.
Samson and Grace weren’t with the main herd, and they weren’t barking. There was no sound of an alarm coming from somewhere over the hill.
That told me something.
They were probably exactly where they needed to be.
So I called for them.
A few moments later, Samson and Grace came over the hill.
And right behind them came the four calves and the missing momma cow.
Nothing was wrong.
Nobody had escaped.
Nobody was hurt.
They were simply lagging behind the rest of the herd.
And the dogs had stayed with them.
As I watched them come over that hill, I couldn’t help but think about how much that resembles our walk with God.
Sometimes We Fall Behind
There are seasons when everyone else seems to be moving forward while we feel like we’re somewhere on the other side of the hill.
Others seem to have their lives figured out.
Their prayers are being answered.
Their families are doing well.
Their careers are moving forward.
Their faith seems strong.
Meanwhile, we’re struggling just to keep up.
Sometimes we’re tired.
Sometimes we’re hurting.
Sometimes we’ve gotten distracted.
And sometimes we simply need a little more time.
From where everyone else is standing, it might even look like we’re missing.
But there’s a beautiful truth throughout Scripture:
God knows exactly where we are.
Jesus said:
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?”
— Luke 15:4 KJV
We usually read that passage as the story of someone who has wandered completely away.
And certainly it is.
But this morning made me think about it a little differently.
Sometimes the sheep isn’t rebelling.
Sometimes it isn’t trying to leave.
Sometimes it’s just lagging behind.
And the Shepherd still notices.
The Shepherd Doesn’t Forget the Slow Ones
When most of our cattle were standing together this morning, I could have looked at them and thought, Well, almost everybody is here.
But “almost everybody” isn’t everybody.
One momma and four calves mattered.
And they weren’t alone.
That may be something someone needs to hear today.
You might feel like you’re behind.
You might look around and wonder how everyone else got so far ahead.
You might even wonder whether God has moved on without you.
He hasn’t.
Psalm 23 doesn’t say the Shepherd only stays with the strongest sheep or the ones who can keep up.
It says:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
— Psalm 23:1 KJV
A good shepherd knows the condition of the flock.
He knows which ones are strong.
He knows which ones are tired.
He knows which ones are hurting.
And He knows which ones need someone to stay with them for a while.
The Silence Told Me Something
There was another part of this morning that stuck with me.
The dogs weren’t barking.
If Samson and Grace had been raising an alarm somewhere over the hill, my reaction would have been very different.
But there was silence.
I couldn’t see what was happening, but I knew enough about the dogs to trust what I wasn’t hearing.
That’s faith sometimes.
We can’t see over the hill.
We don’t know exactly what God is doing.
We know something isn’t where we expected it to be, and we would really like to see the whole picture.
But instead, God asks us to trust Him.
There are times when silence doesn’t mean God is absent.
It may simply mean there is no reason for alarm.
We just can’t see what He can see.
Then They Came Over the Hill
That’s the image I’ll remember from this morning.
First came the dogs.
Then the calves.
Then momma.
What had been hidden from my view suddenly made perfect sense.
And I wonder how many things in our lives will someday be like that.
We worry because we can only see one side of the hill.
God sees both.
We see the missing piece.
God sees where it is.
We see the delay.
God sees the journey.
We see someone falling behind.
God sees a child worth staying beside.
Maybe you’re the one lagging behind today.
Or maybe you’re worried about someone you love who seems to have fallen behind.
Don’t give up on them.
And don’t assume God has.
The Shepherd knows where the missing ones are.
Sometimes they’re not lost at all.
Sometimes they’re just a little behind.
And sometimes, just beyond where we can see, the Shepherd is already there with them.
A Question From the Pasture
Are you worried today because something—or someone—isn’t where you think they should be?
Before assuming the worst, ask yourself:
Can I trust the Shepherd with what I cannot see over the hill?
Prayer
Father, when I cannot see what You are doing, help me trust that You can see what I cannot. When I fall behind, remind me that You haven’t forgotten me. And when someone I love seems lost or distant, help me remember that You know exactly where they are.
Teach me to trust the Shepherd even when I cannot see over the hill.
Amen.