Fleeced

These sheep are happy because they do not own visa cards. 

Our thief was clearly hungry.  I’m not sure what kind of day he had but I imagine his day did not involve hard physical labor.  He worked up an appetite somehow though because when dinner time arrived, he tried to order $60 worth of Taco Bell online.  When that failed he tried Dunkin Doughnuts, a pizza joint and Chinese take-out.  No luck.  Giving up on food, he switched to merchandise to fill the Jesus-sized-cheeseburger-hole in his heart and loaded his cart with over $800 worth of goods from Bloomingdales.  At about that time several computers in the cyber sphere decided I was behaving irrationally.  They studied a few algorithms, deduced that it was unlikely I would eat $150 of take out in one evening and kicked the issue up the ladder to the fraud department.   

They in turn sent a number of alerts to my hubby’s phone to verify that I was not on the east coast suffering from low blood sugar.   After locating me on the chesterfield, my hubby and the all-powerful customer service representative terminated our visa cards and magnanimously ordered us new ones.  It all happened rather quickly.  I wasn’t even aware I had been designated, discussed and diagnosed by the time it was all over.  

Sometimes sin doesn’t take prisoners it just mows you over and keeps on going…

I wasn’t surprised my visa had been stolen, not exactly, though I spent time reviewing all my purchases to try to identify a sketchy business.  It was the brazen nature of the affair that caught me off guard.  Why I would be startled at sin I’m still not clear.  

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 

The above scripture isn’t hard to explain, the devil is bad, does bad things, God is life, not just keeping the life of his followers but adding abundance in the process.  The scripture is taken though from a discourse Jesus is giving regarding his followers and those who shepherd them.  More than likely he was talking to the Pharisees, the churchy folk of the day and juxtaposing his behavior to theirs.  He is the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep.  He loves his sheepies and their care is his priority.  The Pharisees were likened to hired workers who care for themselves first and will run at the first sign of trouble.  Additionally, there are those who are like wolves who damage his followers in order to harm the Good Shepherd.  Note there are only two sides in this scene, those who belong to the shepherd and those who work against him.  

As church folk, we must remember to whom our brothers and sisters belong. Much like my foodie thief, who was using a visa that was not his own, I must give careful consideration to how I treat and speak about fellow believers.  After all they belong to Jesus.  If Jesus was willing to lay down his life for his sheep, it would be wise for me to be a good sheep friend and to value those for whom he died.  This all sounds very neighborly and sensible, but if you have ever gotten into an argument with a church member, you know how easy it is to break out the sheep shears and start cutting.  

And so I’m praying for you this week, my sheep friend.  That God would bestow upon you the heart of the Good Shepherd.  That his love would move your heart to be content in his presence and overflow to those with whom you share pasture. 

Have a peace filled week,

xoxKaren