4:00 AM. Deep sleep. BWAH! BWAH! BWAH! BWAH! Alarms are ringing. I’m suddenly awake along with everyone else in the hotel. Guests wearing pajamas and slippers drift down halls, through the lobby, and into the parking lot. Sleepy-eyed parents hug their young and try to reassure them. Fire trucks arrive, adding a festive, red-light show to this unwelcome party.
What’s going on? No one seems to know.
Who’s in charge? No leader is identified.
There is an eerie hush in the dark and cool morning.
Is there danger? Maybe.
Can I go back to bed? I guess I better wait.
Wait for what? No one says.
Eventually, somebody said that somebody said we could go back in. Most of us do, except those who had already packed their cars and decided to start the day a few hours early.
I checked out at the usual time, and nobody asked, “How was your stay?”
Looking back, I realize that the hotel staff were never trained in what to do in the event of an emergency. While the firemen looked for fire, we wandered about in pajamas like lost sheep just wanting to lie down. Next time, we vow to bring better earplugs. But what if next time the emergency is real? Who will guide us sheep?
In Matthew 9:36, we are told, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Then Jesus told his disciples to pray for shepherds. In this confused world, are you a shepherd or a sheep?
I liked the event you covered. To understand sheep more;, an excellent book,”a shepherd looks
at Psalm 23″ by Phillip Keller is worth a read.