Article August 22, 1988 Issue

Depending on our Shepherd when we feel stumped

No obstacle is too big to overcome when we rely on our Father-Mother God.

Elizabeth Ward Beall

On the way through Yellowstone National Park, I noticed that a tree stump had fallen across the oncoming lane of the road. Cars coming toward me had to stop and decide how to handle the obstruction. One driver waited for oncoming traffic to slow and then maneuvered his way around the stump. As I went on, I wondered how other travelers would handle the obstacle. Would they too circumvent the tree, or wait for the Park Service to remove it, perhaps move it themselves, or back up and turn around?

Stumped—a literal description for the situation of these westbound tourists. Because it was merely a tree in the way, the solution was not difficult. How do we feel, though, when we believe another person blocks our progress? Have you ever felt that a boss, professor, parent, official, or even a spouse wasted your time and disrupted your plans by forcing you, through inaction, into a state of needless waiting or missed opportunity? Is the answer to manipulate the events on your own, to appeal to a higher-up at a more official level, to wait indefinitely for results, or to avoid the issue completely? Instead of trying to take things into our own hands, why not put our lives into the hands of the great Shepherd and trust Him to clear the way?

Can God really help us? The Psalmist assures us the answer is yes. In speaking of God's care he says, "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Ps. 23:4. God, our Shepherd, protects and guides, cares and comforts, constantly, even when someone or something blocks best intentions. In ancient Bible times, shepherds used rods and staffs to prod slow sheep, to guide them over dangerous territory and beat away threatening wolves. Clearly, staffs and rods served as instruments of guidance and power.

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