Monday, November 16, 2015

I recently had a heart warming experience at a funeral I officiated at. In my talk I recounted an incident where a young girl was reciting the 23rd Psalm. She confidently stood before the audience and said, “The Lord is my shepherd, He’s all I want!” There were smiles and light laughter in the audience, but she had captured the essence of what the Psalmist was declaring. When someone has a relationship with Jesus, the great shepherd, they find He provides all they need to cope in any and every circumstance of life. After the service, as I was mingling with the people over some refreshments, I greeted and expressed my condolences to the husband of the deceased’s daughter. His 7 year old daughter was at his side, holding his hand. Warmly, this cute little girl looked up to me and said, “I liked what you said.” Smiling, I leaned down and said, “I bet you enjoyed hearing about the little girl who said, “The Lord is my shepherd, He’s all I want.” She nodded, and wistfully said, “Yea, I’d like a shepherd like that.” I explained, “You can. Just pray and ask Jesus to be your shepherd.” Instantly, to my surprise, she raised her head and with big, bright eyes looked up and prayed, “I’d like that shepherd too!” I affirmed her response, placed my hand on her head with a smile and moved on to greet others. This illustrates beautifully what Jesus said, “‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there” (Matthew 19:14-15).