the grass is always greener....right where i'm already standing

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."  Sound familiar?  It probably does, even if you've never picked up a Bible.   How many times have I read this verse, heard this verse, recited this verse in my head....which, unfortunately, has the tendency to make it become commonplace and not too stand-out-ish.  Like a run of the mill phrase, it tends to lose its impact over time.

Until this morning, when it leapt off the page at me. Just that one sentence.  Just that one line.

The power was infused back into it in a heartbeat.

 "The Lord is my shepherd...."  I was quickly reminded who's driving this sheep's bus.  God knows the fields I cannot see with my human eyes.  He knows that the grazing "over there" that I am so sure is better than the "right here", isn't.  He has me here, in this pasture, at this point in my life, for a reason. 

It occurred to me that perhaps where I am at this time is not necessarily because I'm the one who's lacking, but because the other pastures that I've been longing to be taken to aren't ready yet.  They've been eaten up by the last flock who wandered through, leaving them dry and barren, the delicious grass nibbled to the roots with nothing left to provide nourishment or satisfaction.  God is well aware that if it was up to me, I'd stroll my woolly self out my present gate and go trotting off to where I think I should be by now, only to be disappointed to find nothing to munch on, no water for my thirst, and no still waters to lie down beside.

And that makes for one sad sheep.

After reading just that one sentence, just that one line, my view of life shifted.  My heart heard God telling me that the grass is plenty green and plenty thick right where I'm currently grazing.  It was as if He was saying, "Why would you want to go elsewhere when I've provided so much for you here?  Let the other fields grow a while; we'll go there when they are ready."

We'll go there.  He'll lead me.  Out of this pasture and on to the next, when the time is right for both the sheep and the field.  Now, that makes sense.

And I'm glad it does, because I need to get busy munching.  I can clearly see the good grazing; it's all around me right where I am.

Which is where it's been all along.