A Bummer Lamb— No Longer

Have you ever heard of a bummer lamb? Neither have I. Not in a name anyhow. Let me tell you what a bummer lamb is.

This is when a Ewe rejects her lamb after birth. Well, I\’ve heard of that you may be thinking, so have I. What I didn\’t know was that these rejected lambs are called bummers.

Having investigated further, I found several reasons a ewe may reject her lamb. For instance, did you know ewes have no maternal instincts? If she rejects her lamb, she can be very nasty to it; she won\’t let it near her and may kick it away.

Sometimes these lambs can be paired with another ewe that may be willing to nurse them. But what if it can\’t? The lambs hang their head low, resembling an injured neck. But it isn\’t. Whats happened here is that their spirit is crushed.

These lambs then are bottle and hand-fed by people. Shepherds, if you will, some of these lambs have been brought into their owner/shepherd\’s homes. In addition to being warmed, fed, and having their needs met, they are also shown love and affection from the family.

You see, the shepherd needed to intervene, or the lamb would have died. They are held close against the shepherd\’s body. When the lamb is strong enough, it will be placed back with the rest of the flock.

And, when the shepherd calls the flock, that lamb knows his voice. For he knows the shepherd intimately. He was cared for when he was rejected.

I don\’t know about you. But I am a bummer lamb. I know my shepherds\’ voice, for it is He who rescued me and holds me close to his heart.

When Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins, and I invited Him to be my Lord and Saviour, He saved me from death and brought forth new life.

Psalm 23 tells us that the Lord is our shepherd. It comforts the soul knowing that our good good Father guides us along the broken, uneven ground of this temporary life.

He brings us into the lush green pastures of his mercy and grace, love, kindness, and safety. He alone holds us to his chest; to hear his heartbeat and nourish our soul. He brings forth living water.

Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash