“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” – Psalm 119: 176
What is new on our homestead? We are getting started with our first two ewes! Some people say sheep tend to find creative ways to die and some say they are easier than goats. We have an extra pen available for a little while and feel ready to give sheep a try. Plus, in the Bible, God’s people are described like sheep, so I am curious how raising sheep might help us understand who we are, and grow us to be more like our chief Shepherd, Jesus.
Like any purchase, I like to wait for a good deal if possible, especially when we are not in a hurry. Well, the opportunity came shortly after we just rehomed a pair of American Guinea Hogs (AGH) and a livestock guardian dog (LGD). The past few weeks have been super busy with all the new adjustments and my boys’ drama practices.
Before we knew it, Christmas was almost here and the year 2025 is coming to an end!! Where did all the time go? Life on the farm is full of surprises and adventures. As the season changes, the rhythm may change a bit but you have no dull moments for sure. Our sheep adventure is no exception, which started the day we got them.
We don’t have an animal trailer, and we simply use large dog cages for transporting chickens, ducks, geese, goats. They all worked out just fine in the past. When we got Lamancha dairy goats, the cages were a bit tight. For the short distance, they still worked! But we still had no idea how the sheep would fit.
When we pulled into the driveway of the farm to buy the sheep, the owner was very friendly but he looked at the cages and claimed, “They will not fit!”
“Uh-oh! Now what can we do?” My husband and I exchanged glances and whispered to each other.
We went into the barn and decided to see the situation and decide. The farmer and his adult son and another neighbor were there ready to help us load the two sheep we were about to buy. They had hay bales set up for the steps to the truck bed and thick, solid cattle panels for the passage way. They have been raising sheep for a long time and are good at catching the sheep. We are grateful each time when we buy animals, we get to meet wonderful people. God is very gracious to allow us to meet new friends through this venue. Actually, we were just invited by the family where we bought our goats, to their Christmas gingerbread house making party.
Anyways, back to loading the sheep, through cheerful teamwork, the two sheep were successfully loaded into our two dog cages. The owner smiled and said, “You are always learning when you are farming. Today I have learned that the sheep can fit into dog cages! “ We actually tried to pick the smaller ones, even though they all were about the same size. I think our Lesson #1 for sheep is: sheep are bigger than most goats!! Don’t picture baby lambs in your arms. Adult sheep are heavier and bigger. You get more meat from sheep. Probably, that’s why people raise sheep more for meat than goats.
The breed we got is Katahdin sheep. It is an easy-to-care hair sheep. Other hair sheep breeds we considered are Dorper sheep (bigger) and St. Croix sheep (more parasite resistant). Katahdin sheep are said to be more docile or social. We may cross breed in the future if we are comfortable with raising more sheep. For now, as beginners, we are happy with the two we have. We choose the hair breed because we do not want to deal with shearing wool, at least for this season of our life. Things may change in the future.
Anyways, back to the day we got the sheep, on the way home, we were like “how do we get them into our pen when we get home?” Do most homesteaders have a plan written out first, or more like us, improvise as we go? It’s always a balance between taking a risk and playing safe. The biggest comfort is to do what we know and trust God with the results. (From what we’ve heard, the “improvise as we go” method seems more common.)
Well, I will save the loading details for my husband’s side of the story. Long story short, we were able to unload the first sheep just fine but the second sheep escaped!!
We had a lost sheep! An ewe who, but new to the homestead, had no knowledge of the owner or home. Normally, it takes at least a few days for the new animals to know where their home is. For example, we don’t need to worry about our goats, cattle, chickens or other birds on the farm any more. They will come home at night or during feeding time.
However, for this lost sheep, there was little hope for her to come home on her own. When we first moved here, we had neighbors coming to our house, looking for their lost livestock. That was a little intro into farm life, the stressful part. We did lose our cow for a few hours early on. Thankfully, the cow was trained to respond to feed, and we got her home the same night!
Unlike the cow, our sheep were raised in the field and were never handled. They are skittish and will run away as soon as they see new people. It was the coldest night of the year (roughly -20F), my husband and the oldest son bravely looked for the sheep everywhere. It was getting close to Christmas. They literally were “Over the hills and everywhere”. Well, Lesson #2: being a shepherd is no easy task, though not complicated. God chose those humble shepherds to witness the birth of the King! I think “Go, tell it on the mountain” meant more to us as we sang it! Finally, we had to give up after a long, busy and tiring day. However, we did have a chance to meet more neighbors and have our own lost sheep story. We considered the sheep as a loss.
Over the next few days, we made lost sheep signs to post around the neighborhood. We looked for the lost sheep around and again. No trace. No sign. Nothing. We felt bad for the lonely sheep left in our pen and tried to buy another sheep from the same farmer. With their good price, the rest of the sheep were all sold out shortly after us. However, the sheep farmer gave us hope that a friend of theirs bought five sheep from them and the same thing happened to his friend… with all five of the sheep. After a few days, his friend found the sheep!
We were hoping for the best. But with each passing day, we had to surrender even more for God’s perfect care for the sheep. We have heard there are many coyotes around. The night when the ewe escaped, we heard all the dogs in the neighborhood barking fiercely. By the way, Lesson #3: sheep can run really fast! Right after it escaped, one neighbor saw the sheep dashing by and said, “I saw the sheep running by!” Others didn’t believe her until my husband came around asking about the lost sheep!
Growing up in the city, we never had a chance to witness the speed of sheep. Also,we never knew sheep could have such strong survival skills! After exactly one week, a neighbor spotted the sheep alive wandering in their woods!! They couldn’t believe the sheep could still be living as they clearly heard coyotes howling around at night.
The next challenge for us was to figure out how to catch her and bring her back! Well, by the time we got back home and were about to get her. We heard she was already caught by another neighbor! What a community effort! We are grateful for the sheep found right before Christmas. Everyone was rejoicing with us! We are happy for the other sheep to have company again, and noticed that both sheep greatly relaxed when they were together. We are extra thankful for God’s providential care for us through people around us, and for preserving this particular sheep’s life!
We learned later that the sheep farmers were praying for us and our situation. The Lord is near as we come near to Him. He does not always answer our prayers the way we want, but He knows what is the best for those who trust Him. The Lord is our good Shepherd! There was no hope for the lost sheep to come back home on her own. The shepherd has to go, to seek, to search and make plans to bring her home.
How interesting that the longest Psalm ends with a heart-felt confession! The psalmist loves, adores, treasures, understands, knows, obeys, God’s word. If you want to check out the psalmist’s credibility, just go to Psalm 119, and read the first 175 verses! You will agree that the psalmist’s spiritual maturity is both intimidating and inspiring. Yet, even such a spiritual giant, theological expert, charismatic leader, is just as fallen as you and I. He sees himself as a “lost sheep” (v. 176). The word “lost” in its original form means “perishing or dying”. Just like our lost sheep would die eventually without a doubt, if no one was looking out for her.
What a comfort to know our good Shepherd will not allow any of his sheep to be snatched out of his hand! Our Heavenly Father has given His chosen children eternal life, so no one will perish no matter how hard and dangerous the situation may look. The Father and the Son are one. Jesus is our good Shepherd, who lays down his life for His sheep.
The Father has put his children under Jesus’ perfect care.
The Christmas holiday is over. Christmas decorations may be taken down soon. Christmas items are on sale. But what Christmas points us to remains true all year round. Christ, the Savior, is born! We can still sing aloud, “Go, Tell it on the Moutain”! He came to die for our sins and He rose again! One day He will come back and rule the world!
I was that lost sheep, the one who has gone astray, perishing, on my way to death and eternal punishment. Instead, because of my Savoir, who came to seek the lost, not only can I live this earthly life abundantly for His glory, but also eternal life in my Shepherd’s presence! What a glorious transformation!! I can’t help but go and tell, here and everywhere as the Lord leads.
May the Lord give us a shepherd’s heart to feed the “sheep” under our care and to seek the lost! Jesus came to fulfill the Father’s salvation plans, first to the Jews, then to Gentiles and to all nations. As a servant of God, may His commands continue to compel us to follow the Truth, tell the Truth, and to take delight in His Truth!
Further reflecting:
- Gospel John from the Holy Bible, Chapter 10
- If interested to learn more how to raise sheep and start a farm business, here is a helpful website: Shepherdess
If you want to meditate on the spiritual aspect about the Good Shepherd, read, the Shepherd Trilogy by Philip Keller
3rd Culture Living 