The Good Shepherd

Long ago, in the green hills near Bethlehem, there lived a shepherd. His name was David, and he loved his sheep more than anything in the world.

David had a hundred sheep, and he knew every single one. There was Woolly, who always got stuck in bushes. There was Tiny, the smallest lamb who needed extra help. There was Grumpy, who liked to wander off. And there was Little Star, with a mark on her forehead like a diamond.

Every morning, David led them to fresh grass. Every evening, he brought them safely home to the fold where they could sleep in peace. He counted them every night — one, two, three, all the way to a hundred. Every single one.

But one evening, when David counted his sheep, he stopped at ninety-nine.

He counted again. Still ninety-nine.

One sheep was missing. David looked at his flock. Who was gone? He counted again, naming each one. Woolly was there. Tiny was there. Grumpy was there.

Little Star was gone.

The other shepherds would have said, "You have ninety-nine sheep. That's enough. One sheep doesn't matter."

But David was not like other shepherds.

"Ninety-nine sheep are not enough," David said. "Little Star matters. Every single sheep matters."

David left the ninety-nine sheep safely in the fold with his fellow shepherds. Then he took his staff and climbed the rocky hills, searching.

He searched as the sun went down and the sky turned purple. He searched as the stars came out. He called Little Star's name until his voice was hoarse.

No answer.

David kept walking. He searched in the valleys. He searched near the streams. He searched in the places where wolves sometimes prowled, and his heart beat faster with every step.

What if Little Star was hurt? What if she was scared? What if she was all alone in the dark?

David climbed higher and higher, until he reached a narrow canyon. And there, huddled on a small ledge, was Little Star.

She had wandered off, chasing a butterfly. Then she couldn't find her way back. She was stuck, cold and frightened, bleating softly for help.

When Little Star saw David, she made a sound — the happiest sound David had ever heard. He climbed down to the ledge and gathered her into his arms. She buried her face in his robe and trembled.

"I was so scared," her voice seemed to say. "I thought nobody would come."

"I will always come," David whispered. "I will search for you until I find you. Always."

David didn't just carry Little Star. That would have been too hard for her, after she'd been so frightened. Instead, he lifted her onto his shoulders and carried her home.

All the way back to the fold, he talked to her softly. He told her she was safe now. He told her she was precious. He told her she was worth searching for.

When David returned, the other shepherds were amazed. "You went all that way? All that time? For one sheep?"

David smiled, set Little Star gently down with the others, and counted again.

One, two, three, all the way to a hundred.

"Yes," David said. "For one sheep. Because that's what a good shepherd does. Every sheep matters. Not one is ever left behind."