I was in early elementary when we had a Vicar, a student pastor, who served at our church for a year. He was tall, at least to me, and was always friendly.
The church had a goodbye reception in the basement when his year ended. Groups of adults talked to him, said their goodbyes, and wished him well. I wanted to say goodbye to Pastor Shepherd, but my mom said, “He’s busy. He doesn’t have time for you.”
Pastor Shepherd overheard this conversation and came over to us. “If Jesus had time for the little children, I do too.”
He was the first adult to demonstrate that I had value. He took the time to talk to me, even though he had been busy talking to the adults in the room. Just like Jesus, Pastor Shepherd took the time to interact with the children in his life. His actions helped me see that God values me as a person.
Years later, I realized Shepherd was not his last name. My mom’s church had a significant anniversary that included a booklet with pictures of all the pastors who had served the church. Pastor Shepherd was nowhere to be found. It turned out that his last name started with an S, but it was not Shepherd. But to me that will always be his name. He was a shepherd who noticed even the smallest sheep.
I carried the memory of his actions into adulthood and tried to follow in his footsteps. As a parent, I listened to my children and encouraged them when they did something well.
I also notice and encourage children and express that they have value. Like Jesus, I want to let the little children come to me so I can be a blessing to them.
Ask God to help you act like a shepherd to the children in your life by noticing and encouraging them.
Carolyn is a writer.