but tell me cousin... why a Sheepdog?

This one could be a little dis-jointed, but stay with it, there is a point.


If you're around my age, you probably have fond memories of Saturday morning (when cartoons were good) and some of my favorite Saturdays included Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf

There was a balance to it. Ralph (the Wile E Coyote clone) would do his best to steal the sheep to eat, and Sam, with a proper application of force, would thwart his willy schemes, usually accomplishing some comedic effect. Each knew what the other was supposed to do, and it was up to each other to out think the other. Good vs. Evil in a very simple form.


Life goes on, I get older. I see what evil and in deference actually looks like. And life teaches you that the wolves don't play by rules like sheepdogs are forced to, and they will eat your sheep and slit your throat if possible.


I was in Nairobi, Kenya in 1998. I saw the ruins of the US Embassy there*. Shortly before Kenya, I was in Yemen, only for a few hours mind you, but it was enough. It looked like a garbage dump with paved streets. A woman begged me to take a child. She didn't know me but she knew that as young as I was, but she knew that I could do more for her child than she could. Eventually a street fight broke out over a tourist who was giving money to a kid, the grown men in the crowd started brawling over who would take it from him. Travel and experience is the best teacher. I learned much of history, beauty and the fruit that comes from greed, pride and dehumanizing others.


While I've always believed in helping others, never though of calling it anything. In the last couple years, i've become aware of "the Sheepdog Concept" popularized by Army Lt. Col Dave Grossman. I could take up much more of your time trying to explain this to you, but I'll use what's available and let you learn from someone more experienced.

If you need recommendations or info on firearms, knives, clothing, camping or gear: Nutnfancy is the man

So i start to think about why I feel compelled to help others, and Psalm 23 comes to my mind, I'm sure you're familiar with it. 

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want;
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the
Lord forever. 

The Lord is my Shepherd, and I am his sheepdog. This is the concept that keeps rattling around in my head. Every person under our yellow sun is a sheep, the Lord is trying to Shepherd all of us, to protect and teach us. Some just aren't listening. 

Lt. Col. Grossman has another quote: "Sheep have only two speeds: 'grazing' and 'stampede'"

It's a sad truth that sheep are very stupid animals, and no matter what our vegetarian brothers and sisters tell you, if we didn't eat sheep or other livestock, they'd have been extinct long ago. As a Christian, and now as a parent, the need for a shepherd has never been more apparent. And I haven't screwed my life up that much. Now look at the world. Look at the people who do need help. Look at people in a minor crisis. We all need the Shepherd. As Christian's we are called to help and teach, which in my mind effectively makes me a sheepdog. Not only to be around to help when the wolves come, but to also be there everyday to keep the sheep from wandering off a cliff, drowning in a river or getting lost in the woods. Help keep them on the path. 

The trouble is, sheep don't want the sheepdog or the Shepherd. They try to limit our tools. Say we don't need them. I find it very "odd" that the largest proponents for firearms control are the ones who live behind large gates with RCMP or military bodyguards. 

Do I own firearms? Yes. 

Do I own knives. Yes. 

Do I leave them around for my daughter or the ill-informed to play with? No. 

Do I train with the tools I have? Yes.

Do I hope for the day when I can use them on someone? No. 

Do I follow ill conceived laws that serve only to make Canadian's larger victims and easier targets than we already are? Yes.

What's the point to all this? There is no point. There is no answer. There are only new questions to ask. And all of this teach us more about ourselves and why we do things. Asking questions isn't an act of sedition, it's an act of education and evolution. We all evolve personally, we didn't come from "the goo, to the zoo, to you" but we don't die the same person we started. 

As right now, I'm just a sheepdog. Trying to do what I can for the Shepherd who is trying to keep us on our path. We will get lost, we will lose sheep. But we will get to where we are going. And if you are willing to stand apart from the flock, gear up, learn new skills, become prepared and be willing to be mocked as a alarmist or "survivalist", come help us with the flock. That sheep you pull out of a river will thank you. That sheep you stop from bleeding or freezing to death will thank you. That sheep will thank you for helping protect their family from that home invader. 

John 15:13 says: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"

There are not many people that I'd stand in front of "that" bullet for, but I think that's why it is so important. I don't find myself out looking for reasons to die, I want to live and see my Great-great grandkids, however, I am not prepared to live in shame of myself because of my in-action or cowardice.

Spend the time and money to be ready for when the Lord needs our help looking after some of his sheep.

It is a LARGE flock, there's a lot to do. What better time to share the love of God and Christ than when someone asks why you risked it all to save someone?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_United_States_embassy_bombings