One of my favorite paintings is The Rescuer by MacKenzie Thorpe. It hangs in our dining room and portrays a shepherd carrying a white sheep on his back through steep grass before a storm hits.
It makes me think of how all of us in days gone by have been the rescued sheep in times of personal challenge and, at other times, played the part of the shepherd providing safety to someone in need.
I think it’s one of the true beauties of humanity. Our shepherds may have been parents or teachers or even strangers. At vulnerable moments they saw a storm approaching in our lives and they carried us to safety.
I figure as I age, there are more opportunities to be a shepherd and repay the countless kindnesses that strong and sensitive individuals have bestowed on me over my many years. Those moments can come at anytime, at anyplace.
I just need to be ready.