A man once told me that I smelled like sheep.
At first I really didn’t know what he meant; all that could come to my mind was visions of the many smelly shepherds that I saw in India out with their flocks on back country roads. I didn’t even have to get close to those wretched men to know they stunk. You could tell just by the way they looked that they hadn’t seen civilization – yet alone a shower – for weeks upon weeks.
So, when the man that I met in Texas that had brought me in for a speaking engagement told me that I smelled like sheep, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed. Without really thinking about what he was saying, I quickly blurted back, “Oh, I am sorry if I smell, I’ve been traveling since early this morning.”
He chuckled, and said, “No, I am not saying that you stink, but I can tell just tell by our conversation that you are really loving on your ‘flock’ – your people – back home.”
I grinned and turn my head toward the ground with slight embarrassment. “If you are saying I smell like sheep because I’ve been with the people God’s entrusted to me, then I will not be ashamed of my oder,” I said with a smirk.
Oh the joy to be working with God’s flock. He truly is our mighty Shepherd, and I will gladly watch any part of his flock that he will entrust me with… even if it means I may smell like them or have to risk my life to get the lost ones from time-to-time… oh what a privilege to be with His sheep.
