Answered Prayers

In response to my post titled "Running Away" and my frustrations and prayers to God for clarity, I feel that God spoke to me. It came after a challenging week, in which I lost a student (a first for me, and I'd like to hope a last). She passed away from meningitis, leaving a hole in our school, our classroom, and in my heart. That same week, I had my first interview for a teaching job. It was an eventful week, to say the least.

Not too surprisingly, I called a friend to vent about my week and to have a listening ear. I voiced some of my fears that I put in "Running Away," about trying trying to escape what I'm being called to do for various reasons.

The next morning as I was reading The Little White Book for the Easter season, I was astounded at the timing of the message written for the day. It felt like that reflection had been written directly at me and for exactly the right time. It surely gave me a sense of peace and felt like an answered prayer.

Here is the reflection, and perhaps it may reach out to you in some way as well.

"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. (John 10:1-2)

This chapter of John's Gospel uses the image everyone loves -- Jesus as the Shepherd, going out to the lost sheep and putting it on his shoulders...the shepherd who gives his life for the sheep...the sheep who know him and he knows them.
The passage for today refers to the gate or door of the sheepfold. The only one who can open the gate and enter the sheepfold is the shepherd.
We all have closed doors in our lives. Places inside ourselves where we do not want to go because we are afraid. Behind those doors are things like old hurts, addictions, health concerns, hatred, fears.
Jesus is telling me that he can lead me, one of his flock, through the closed doors in my life to those places where there is trouble so I can deal with it. And then he can lead me out again.
Jesus, my shepherd, is telling me: 'Don't be afraid.'"