The Second Child - A Short Story

It is a big family of twelve siblings, but a good one, and important to everyone in it. Everyone has a place from the youngest to the oldest, and each has a gift, talent, and responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the whole family unit. Funnily enough the same gifts can be found in two or more children. For example, the ability to play a musical instrument, or be good at sports.

The parents work hard, and do their best, loving each one the same, but still some get the feeling of being undervalued, or overlooked. Understandable perhaps in a big family. After all, how can parents or siblings keep an eye on every one? One day, the unthinkable happened.

The next to oldest son went missing. I mean, he wasn’t down for breakfast in his usual fashion of being first at the table before leaving for work. The other brothers and sisters looked at each other and figured he had overslept, or was needed at his workplace early. It was certainly unusual, but that was the most likely explanation. At the end of the first working day, he still didn’t appear for dinner. Probably overtime they thought.

I mentioned the first working day because there were other days to follow where he wasn’t home either. Maybe he arranged a holiday with his pals but forgot to tell us, they all reasoned. After all, we can’t keep up with everyone in a family of our size they figured. He stayed missing from his place at the table for quite a while, but it was a big family you understand. Missing one is no big deal, especially when there is no reason to worry, right? All the others are still here, so the family unit can still function.

Almost by accident, one of his younger sisters was out at her friend’s house, and noticed to her surprise that her missing brother was there. Turned out that he had gone to another house where he knew some of the young men, and they kindly asked if he wanted to stay with them for a wee while. Just for a change you understand. They had almost adopted him into their family, and were delighted to have him there. In effect, they had adopted each other for mutual benefit. By the time the truth came out, it was too late. The deed had been done, and the second oldest son had moved from one family to another, almost seamlessly, without a fuss, and with no one coming after him to check if he was ok.

Who knew? Well, how could they? Who cared? Well, who had reason to suspect anything was wrong? Truth be told, the welcome at his new adopted home was greater than the silence of his absence from his other, old home. So, all in all, no harm done. Right? Both families continued to flourish and grow, and they all remained friends.

Somehow, I can’t help but wonder if that second oldest son was ever really missed by anyone in his family? His parents, or his brothers and sisters? Perhaps that’s something we will never know. At least everyone can satisfy themselves that they did all they could to make him feel welcome enough at home to stay there. Or did they? Maybe it could all have been avoided with a little more care, consideration, thought, and love.

If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples. John13:35NIV-Jesus (Spoken to Jesus’ disciples, who were His own earthly family then. That’s us now!)

Lost It?

I suppose it had to happen one day. It felt like I had just turned my back and it was gone without a trace. It wasn’t an ordinary relationship, but let me try to explain some more but try to keep up with my wandering thoughts!

I had a lot of good contacts there and used them a lot. We would talk and be in touch often, of course some folks were better friends than others, but I always knew where they were, and how to get in touch. The truth is there were even folks in my ‘list’ I hardly knew but I felt it was a good idea to keep a note for the future. If you’re with the same crowd for a long time, they have ‘specials’ where you can relax a bit more. I suppose I was familiar with the way everything worked and there were very few surprises. It had become a part of my life, but I didn’t mind.

After a short time at the start when I wasn’t sure how things would work out, I decided to go for the casual membership contract and I found that was good value, at least for me. It didn’t seem to work for everyone mind you, but support was just a call away, and they would try to sort out whatever was troubling me. That didn’t happen very often but it was good to know the support was there.

Then the program changed, and just about everything changed with it. I seemed to lose some of my contacts. They were there one day and gone the next. Or that’s the way it seemed. The others in the list didn’t behave the same way after that. I don’t think any of us knew how to react to the ‘improvements’ as the company rolled out one by one until the way it ended up was unrecognisable. The specials weren’t so appealing now and more suited to a different crowd, some of whom were not even on my original contact list.

Mobile phones change every year and it’s hard to keep up with the changes they bring out. On top of that, as I get older, the more I get used to the one I have, and any change of handset or contract takes me longer to get used to. It didn’t happen overnight, but there came a time when I thought, why bother trying to keep up with the constant changes which the owners called progress. Sometimes change happens and it takes you too far from the solid, familiar ground you had, and for what benefit? So, you do what anyone else does in that situation. You change provider and go back to the tried and tested ways which brought you there in the first place?

Whether it’s my mobile phone, or my church, it’s a very similar process. Who would have thought?

Paying Attention

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Luke 15:4 NIV

The parable of the lost sheep is a favourite of mine, and a favourite for many others too. It wraps up the love and patience of Jesus in coming after His sheep if and when he or she strays. That’s clearly us, because we do tend to stray, and that’s why we love the story.

For the first time in many years of reading this story I noticed a part of the action of the Shepherd, which is not said, but is hidden in the text. What stands out to you? The thought of being carried home? The action of the Shepherd ‘going after’ His sheep? The fact that He felt confident enough to leave the other sheep without a Shepherd while He went looking? These are all amazing characteristics of our Shepherd Saviour, and how he loves us. But is something obvious being left unsaid?

Before He did any of the actions that a Shepherd would do for the sheep that were His responsibility, He must have noticed that something was wrong. He made regular counts and this time it brought home the truth that one was not there, so that’s why He went after it and did all He could to bring it back? I suggest it was because He cared for all the sheep, and so knew when one was missing. Think about that. Jesus cares for His sheep who are lost. He notices. The Shepherd pays attention to the one who is not there in His safekeeping.

Fast forward to our day and age. To a degree we are all shepherds with some responsibility to help bring lost sheep home where we can. We are not the Good Shepherd, but we can be good enough to notice, or care enough to act when we discover that someone is not out at church. But first, like Jesus the great Shepherd, we must care enough to notice. Only when we pay attention can we continue to do the other things described in the parable. May God help us all to pay more attention and care when it is needed!

The Journey - Detour

I hate it. You get onto a familiar and well known road, put your mind into neutral, and start thinking of all the things you want and need to do for the day. It’s easy to take this road, because you have taken it a hundred times. And then you see the sign ‘Detour Ahead’! Now you have to start to rethink your route and fast!


You are in uncharted territory, and in an unknown place. Even with a compass and map it is hard to find your bearings. It’s so easy to miss the way back onto the road that leads to our destination. Our earthly detours are no different from our spiritual ones. We get muddled in our thinking so easily, and sometimes wonder why we were brought down this way. What’s your detour? Illness, finances, death of a friend or family member, even doubts of church and faith? There are more, but you can insert your own spiritual detour.


One thing is certain, to get back onto the right road for our eternal destination, we must follow the signs. In our case those signs can be from good trusted friends, a pastor, the small voice of conscience, but mostly God’s Word which will get you home every time! And by the way, you’re not the only one who has ever suffered the wilderness of a detour!!


There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 16:25

Tended Sheep

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness…. Psalm 23:1-3

We are all familiar with the parable of the lost sheep where the shepherd searched diligently for the one lost sheep. Over the years I have come to think we miss something about the shepherd. Yes, he searches out the lost, but does he stand idly by twiddling his thumbs, waiting for one of those stupid sheep to get lost? NO!!

The familiar Psalm 23 which we all love holds some vital clues about the ‘Good Shepherd’. His time is mostly spent looking after the sheep he has in the fold. The ones which are not lost. He values them. Read the verses over again, because this is not a Shepherd who idly waits for one to go missing. He is actively making sure each one feels worth His attention, and valued. He IS the shepherd after all, so would we expect any less?

Church leaders and pastors, by definition are ‘shepherds’, and as such have a responsibility to tend (I love that word of caring) the sheep which are faithful and remain within the fold. While we remember the one that strayed, keep in mind the other ninety-nine which were secure in the pen. So, where is the bulk of the shepherd’s time spent, if not on the ones which already are safe? It is down to the tending of the Good Shepherd that more are not lost, and similarly it is the driving force and heart of our earthly Pastors who help the sheep that need his attention. So, what else is in the Good Shepherd’s mind? Nothing! Just the wellbeing of the sheep that already are His.

There are too many ways to mention where a Pastor can help his flock, but they all come down to one characteristic. Like the Good Shepherd, he must care for all his flock, to the exclusion of all else.

Lost

She was 8 years old, pretty as a picture, the apple of her mum and dad’s eye, and she was lost. Panic had already set in when meal time arrived and she wasn’t in the back garden where they had last seen her, when they told her to play until dinner was ready. It wasn’t a long time, but she was gone and a search party was organised quickly. They lived on an estate which opened out to a large open field and wooded area to the rear of the property. No one wanted to say what they were thinking, or dreading.

After a short time which felt like an eternity, the lost was found, curled up under a small bush fast asleep. Unharmed and unafraid. Before daddy could sweep her up into his safe arms, he noticed that the fingers of one hand were wrapped tightly round the fourth finger of her other hand. In no time, Betsy was home, having dinner, none the worse for her ordeal. In fact she was the only one who wasn’t worried.

When it was time for bed, mum took her little girl upstairs and after reading a story, asked why she had been clutching her finger so tightly. With a big smile, Betsy told how she had listened to her Sunday School teacher the week before who told them how to remember the first part of Psalm 23. Pointing to each finger in turn, she recited, “The-Lord-is-MY-Shepherd” and when she had strayed from home and got worried, she clutched the fourth finger that said ‘MY’ and the fear left. So from a little girl we are reminded of the lesson in Psalm 23:1 we all need to hear. “The Lord is MY shepherd”. Mine. It is personal. Jesus is mine, and let’s never forget it! Amen.