The Shepherd and His Broken Lamb

I have a friend who is on a mission right now. This is his first week serving in Samara Russia. I was writing to him just today and shared a spiritual thought that I want to share on my blog as well.

This is part of my letter to Elder Swartz:

A year ago I was sitting in my Book of Mormon class and my professor shared an experience I will never forget. It's about a shepherd and his broken lamb. My professor, Brother Parker, was in Jerusalem visiting. During his trip he met a shepherd, who carried with him a little lamb. It was clear that the lamb was injured. Brother Parker asked what was wrong with the lamb, to which the shepherd replied, "His leg is broken." Brother Parker then asked how its leg came to be broken. To Brother Parker's great astonishment, the shepherd said, "I broke it." In explanation the shepherd continued, "You see, this lamb is a wanderer. Oftentimes I have found him straying from the flock and getting into trouble. Breaking his leg was necessary. By inflicting pain on this little lamb, I am teaching him that he must never stray. Now my lamb has to rely on me for everything. For without me, he cannot heal. And when he has regained his strength, my little lamb will no longer wander." - How similar this is to our lives. God allows us to be bruised, broken, worn down and tried in order to teach us a greater lesson. Through our afflictions and trials, God pleads with us to rely on Him. For true healing only comes through Him. I know Heavenly Father does not abandon us. It is in our darkest hour that He draws ever closer o us. May we slow down and listen close enough to feel His arms around us and see His blessings in our lives.

The story of the shepherd and his broken lamb is my favorite story. When we stop to understand its magnitude, our understanding of pain will change. Pain is not a punishment. In many ways it is a blessing in and of itself. I hope to never forget that.