The LORD is my Shepherd

I’m walking in the cool of the evening, barefoot in the damp grass of a vast, gently undulating field. I’m wearing a long, white robe tied round my middle with a linen belt. I am carrying a huge backpack on my back, which is weighing me down, making walking a struggle, and I stumble frequently. My Father is walking beside me, he is leading the way. There is a stream babbling along beside us, cutting its meandering way through the field. Light is sparkling from the water as it tumbles over and around shiny rocks and pebbles like tiny jewels.

I feel a little awkward, as if I have never been on my own with my Father before, but always in a group, serving him from a distance.

We walk side by side, not talking. He is giving me space, allowing me to get used to his presence, waiting for me to speak first. He is relaxed and calm, not uncomfortable with me. It seems like he is not trying to rush to the next thing or push me into appreciating his presence, but is simply being in the moment, enjoying the journey.

I begin to relax too and feel a peace descend over me, the pent-up tension of life is evaporating, the tightness in my shoulders releasing. I stop walking and slip my arms out of the backpack straps and allow it to slump to the ground with a thud. I stand and look at it, not sure about the consequences of what I have just done. Should I pick it up again, or walk away from it? My Father stops walking and turns around at the sound of the bag hitting the floor. He walks back along the path to me, silently holding out his hand for the pack. I take hold of the straps and heave it towards him; he takes it and slings it over his shoulders as if it were made of feathers. He holds out his hand to me, I take hold of it, and he leads me beside the quiet waters.

With the tensions and burdens gone, I suddenly feel really tired. My Father seems to know this. He selects a grassy spot beneath the branches of a huge sprawling tree. He takes. a huge, soft blanket out of his own bag and shakes it out on the grass.

Motioning me to sit beside him, he finds a comfortable place to sit, and I sink into the blanket and lie back. Looking up through the branches, I can see the sapphire blue sky shining through translucent green leaves, fluttering in a gentle breeze. I close my eyes, feeling the breeze caress my cheeks and listening to the rustling leaves soothing me to sleep. I sense my Father’s presence beside me, strong, eternal, my rock and my refuge.

When I awake, everything is the same, as if I’ve only been asleep for a few seconds. But I feel the restoration of a full night’s sleep. My head feels clear, my mind sharp. I raise myself up on my elbows and look around. My Father is still there; he smiles at me, and I return his smile.

‘Are you ready?’ He asks.

‘I’m ready for anything.’ I reply confidently.

I feel ready for anything, there’s a strength rising within me, a certainty of who I am, where I am going and most importantly, who is going with me. I jump up, ready to get going again, but being careful not to rush ahead of my Father as he continues to lead the way. We set off along the path again.

As we walk, the path diverges away from the sparkling, babbling stream. The grass begins to thin, the path becomes stony, and we need to watch where we are putting our feet so that we don’t trip. Rocks and crags begin to appear at our side, rising out of the ground as huge shapes casting their chilly shadows, obscuring the blue sky from our vision. Bushes and trees increase in intensity, closing in around us, lining the edges of the path. Brambles send their sharp, barbed tentacles across our way, making the path barely recognisable. We are walking into a deep, dark valley.

My heart begins to pound, sweat prickles my forehead, and fear rises within me. My Father looks around at me and squeezes the hand which is tightly gripping his. His all-encompassing power floods through me, the fear flees immediately. He uses his staff to find the path beneath the branches and brambles, pushing them out of the way so that it is clear for me to walk unhindered. There are strange noises all around us, a crashing in the bushes, now in front of us, now behind, threatening. Through the branches I see flashes of dagger-like teeth leering at me, bony fingers jabbing at me.

This time, I’m not afraid, I lean into my Father as he raises and shakes his staff at them, pushing them away from me, protecting me from their taunts. I know I’m safe beside him, even though they still lurk around about, I know they can’t hurt me or threaten me.

Shortly, the bushes and trees begin to part, I can see the blue sky again between the branches. The path is now unobstructed, the boulders become smaller and the pebbles smooth. We leave behind the rocky outcrops and the shadowy valley and come out into a spacious place.

Standing in front of us, on a flat-topped rise, on lush fresh grass, is a ready set table.

The enemies of darkness, fear and death watch from behind me in the dark valley, where I overcame them, as my Father pulls out a chair for me and invites me to sit down.