I Married An Under Shepherd

“I have been recruited for another chaplain assignment, and I feel like the Lord is calling me to go.”

That is what my husband told me two months ago after being home from his previous deployment for less than a year. Not exactly what I had anticipated, but after much prayer and consideration we felt it was necessary for him to answer the call.

Once the decision was made John said to me, “Thank you for loving me enough to let me go.” To which I responded, “I’m not doing it because I love you… I’m doing it because I love God.”

I’ll admit it’s not easy being married to an under shepherd; one who has been blessed with a desire to rescue lost sheep. But then I think of the soldiers to whom he ministers, and wonder what it must feel like to be “lost”; to sit in a pit of despair wondering if anyone cares enough to come looking for them. And I know that he will, because he’s one of the good ones.

Today I was reminded of these words from a beloved hymn:

Dear to the heart of the shepherd,

Dear are his “other” lost sheep;

Over the mountains he follows,

Over the waters so deep.

See, the Good Shepherd is seeking,

Seeking the lambs that are lost,

Bringing them in with rejoicing,

Saved at such infinite cost.

Hark! He is earnestly calling,

Tenderly pleading today:

“Will you not seek for my lost ones,

Off from my shelter astray?”

Green are the pastures inviting;

Sweet are the waters and still.

Lord, we will answer thee gladly,

“Yes, bless-ed Master, we will!”

Make us thy true under shepherds;

Give us a love that is deep.

Send us out into the desert,

Seeking thy wandering sheep.

Out in the desert they wander,

Hungry and helpless and cold;

Off to the rescue he hastens,

Bringing them back to the fold.

-Mary B. Wingate-

“Dear to the Heart of The Shepherd”

So, for the next six months we will wait patiently for his return, and continue to serve the Lord in the fields to which we are called. Please pray for us, and pray for those who are lost or fighting battles unseen, for we are all “dear to the heart of The Shepherd.”