In valleys deep and mountains high,
A shepherd tends his flock with care.
One hundred sheep beneath the sky,
In green meadows, they graze and fare.

But lo, one lamb, in innocence,
Strays far from safety's gentle keep.
The shepherd, with no hesitance,
Leaves ninety-nine to seek the weak.

Through brambles thick and rivers wide,
With heart of love and eyes so keen,
He searches where the lost may hide,
In places rarely seen.

And when at last he finds the stray,
His joy is like no other sight.
More than the ninety-nine that stay,
His heart with love alights.

For every soul, like each lost lamb,
Is precious in the Father's plan.
In heaven's realm, the Great I Am
Seeks each lost child of man.

So let us learn from this parable,
Of love that seeks the one astray.
A lesson timeless, invaluable:
Each soul is worth the journey made.

Matthew 18:12-14

January 2, 2023
Created by
MarkWaldrop