What images comes to mind when you hear the phrase, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me to lie down in green pastures"?
My images were forever changed when I had the privilege, several years ago, of traveling to the Holy Land and saw Bedouin shepherds herding their sheep and goats in the desert south of Jerusalem. Green pastures mostly looked like tufts of grass among the rocks. The landscape recalled to me the Lord's prayer, "give us this day (or perhaps, this moment) our daily bread". I realised that the times when I have most needed to recite the 23rd Psalm have been times when my life felt like that wild landscape with its scattered tufts of grass. Please, God, grant me enough nourishment, or strength, or courage, or calm, to negotiate this moment. And may I trust my shepherd to lead me to the next step along the way.
- Marilyn Malton
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