Somewhere around the age of 15 I fell in love with sheep. I’m not exactly sure why, although I think it may have something to do with receiving a pair of knitting needles from my sister on my birthday. The whole sheep/fleece/wool carding/spinning/knitting-SWEATER process fascinated me. I dreamt of being a sheep rancher in the mountains. I still carry the picture around in my head—the meadow, the mountain, the sheep, my cowboy boots lined up in the entry way of my ranch house.
Well, my life has taken a major detour, but along the way I’ve collected some notes about sheep behavior which have given me a glimpse into what living in a community of faith might be like.
1) Sheep love being in a herd. They need to keep a visual link to at least 4 or 5 sheep at all times. It’s the banding together of sheep that protects them from predators. This also enables the guardian dog to protect the sheep. A dog can’t protect the sheep if they all go off in different directions.
2) Sheep have excellent sight although their depth perception is poor. They’re reluctant to go where they can’t see.
3) Touch is important to the interaction between sheep. Groups of sheep that have this kind of contact are calmer.
4) Sheep have a flight zone. This is the distance they will put between humans or other animals that they need to feel safe. This distance can be reduced by humans or the guardian dog walking through the herd until they feel safe.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, He leads me beside quiet waters, he renews my life” Ps 23
Knowing what I know about sheep and their need to stay with the flock, this verse seems truer if it says “The Lord is OUR Shepherd, He leads US beside quiet waters, He renews OUR life.” It’s truer to sheep characteristics that the renewal of our lives happens more often within the herd than alone with the Shepherd.
So in a nutshell, the main thing I learn from sheep behavior is:
STAY WITH THE GROUP!
Baa.
Great post, Mary! We share a couple of loves…sheep and knitting! I used to love to go and look at the sheep every year at the local fair & rodeo…for some reason, I would always laugh at their ears flopping forward…love that! Ha! On a little more serious note, I had a couple of posts last year on knitting and the cool things God revealed to me there. One, the clear way He’s knitting me/us together in Psalm 139…and two, the amazing way He has knitted us together AS ONE GROUP in LOVE…Col 2:2-3 and Col 2:19!
My favorite of the Colossions references is The Message paraphrase…”WOVEN INTO A TAPESTRY OF LOVE” So, maybe we could start a knitting group?! Ann, are you in too?! 
very well said, mary. i think there is a lot i can learned from the sheep. glad we are part of the same flock!!
Oh Mary, this is great! I <3 analogies, and they really speak to me so well. Long are the days of being the lone ranger, haha, and hoo-ray to the days of being a part of a bunch of other wooly creatures. Thanks for sharing your heart with us here. Baa back.
Love you!
As I was reading this, I remembered some friends of mine in Iowa who raised sheep. My friend Rich said that as a child, he would watch the sheep in the pasture. He and his brothers would yell and run around the pasture, and the sheep would be unphased. But as soon as his father would come out and call the sheep, they would immediately respond to his voice. The sheep knew their master’s voice, the father’s voice. That story from my friend made the bible stories make sense to me in a whole new way. The fact that God is our shepherd and we listen to the call of his voice really made sense. I never knew that about sheep! They are pretty smart if they know to listen to the “right” voices!
Loved reading your childhood dream! Who knows, you might be a sheep rancher yet!
i love your sweet post. thank you for sharing w/ us!
the herd is with you now, even when you dont see or feel them. we grieve and wonder with our sister and trust as a group that the shepherd knows where He is going and we all try to follow.
you are so loved
karl