A Flock of Our Own

Today was a big day on the Plott farm — the kind of day that hums with excitement and smells like hay and fresh beginnings. We brought home three new sheep — 2 year-old ewes and 1 ram — rescued from a nearby herd. They were headed for slaughter, but instead, they came home with us — hand picked  — chosen!

What was a terrifying day for them was, in truth, a day of salvation.

The truck ride was bumpy, the new pen unfamiliar, and their wide eyes and quiet stares said it all — fear, confusion, and uncertainty. But what they didn’t know is that they were being rescued. They were being set apart for something better. They were being saved to start a new flock. 

It struck me in that moment how much we’re like those sheep. We cling to what’s familiar — our routines, our habits, even the things that hold us back — because they feel safe. We resist the unknown, not realizing that sometimes God is leading us away from what’s comfortable so He can bring us into something better.

Just like our new flock, we can’t always see the hands guiding us toward redemption. 

But Scripture reminds us, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27–28)

God doesn’t rescue us to leave us wandering — He rescues us to restore us.

The day we brought these sheep home was a full-family affair. Everyone pitched in, full of questions, laughter, and excitement. We checked their hooves, medicated them for parasites, made sure they were healthy or at least on their way to restored health, and then stood back to watch them take their first hesitant steps into a brand-new life. The boys were asking questions and dreaming up names and making plans for the future. We were directing their expectations of a flock being different than owning our pet sheep and goat, Annie and Jimmy. Reminding them that, like the horses and the barn cats, these sheep will have a job to do and that our attachment to them will need to be like a shepherd, kind and loving, watchful and hopeful, and with a purpose in mind. 

Our farm is simple, our shepherding skills are still very beginner-level, but that’s the beauty of it — learning together, growing together, and watching God’s lessons unfold right in our own front yard.

The sheep aren’t just new livestock for me. They’re a reminder that sometimes rescue feels uncomfortable. That salvation might look like being lifted out of the only pasture you’ve ever known. That freedom often begins with fear — but ends in peace.

And maybe that’s the message for all of us today: when God calls you out of your comfort zone, it’s not punishment — it’s purpose. It’s His way of saying, “I have more for you.”


A Reflective Question
What might God be asking you to leave behind so He can lead you into something new — even if it feels uncertain right now?


Until next time, keep following the Plott, and I will be praying for us all. 💛

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