Flashback #12: Hymntime

This one comes from early September of last year...

 Time for a Hymn Spotlight!

            

 One of my newly found favorite LDS hymns is called Dear to the Hear of the Shepherd. (A copy of the hymn- #221- can be found here.)The Mormon Tabernacle Choir does a beautiful arrangement of this song. It reminds me so much of my calling not only as a missionary but as one who knows Christ. One of His many titles is the Master Shepherd and we are His sheep. The hymn talks about how Christ will gather His sheep:

Out in the desert they wander,
Hungry and helpless and cold; 
Off to the rescue He hastens, 
Bringing them back to the fold.

I love the illustration of this  found in Luke chapter 15, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, dot not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 
    

"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing."

 Sometimes we are the obedient "ninety and nine", and sometimes we are the lost "one". However, no matter where we are in life, we all need the help of the Master Shepherd. Sometimes, the help we need from Him is for us to gather His sheep with Him. Sometimes it is challenging. It can be VERY challenging, but we can't give up. I recently read an article from the church Ensign entitled Rescuing Lost Lambs. My dear friends, it is our responsibility, it is OUR calling, to help gather the lost sheep.

Hark! He is earnestly calling, 
Tenderly pleading today:
"Will you not seek for my lost ones, 
Off from my shelter astray?"

... And the song ends with us saying to our Savior, "Yes, blessed Master, we will!"

So, have you done something to uplift a friend? A family member? Yourself? If you haven't seized the chance today, that's your assignment.

Make it an action-packed day!
-Sister Franson