The Ninety and Nine

This is a picture of a sheep I have on my desk. I received this as a gift from a student several years ago. I can't remember exactly why she gave it to me, but I do know the meaning I attach to it. This little sheep reminds me of the parable Jesus told in Luke 15.

I woke up this morning thinking about The Parable of the Lost Sheep. In it Jesus says, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15: 4-7

This little sheep is a constant reminder of the students who have drifted away from our church or their faith. It helps me to be sensitive to the fact there will always be students who need a call, a letter, or a visit. There will always be the one lost student who needs a shephard to go find them and make an attempt to bring them back into the fold.