The Bummer Lamb

By Donna Winchell

There is a story about a bummer lamb. Some of you may have heard it before:

Every once in a while, a ewe will give birth to a lamb and reject it. Once a ewe rejects one of her lambs, she will never change her mind. The little lamb will hang its head so low that it looks like something is wrong with its neck. His spirit is broken. The lamb is called a “bummer lamb.” Unless the shepherd intervenes, that lamb will die, rejected and alone. The shepherd takes the rejected lamb into his home hand-feeding it, keeping it warm by the fire, and holding it to his chest so the bummer can hear his heartbeat. Once the lamb is strong enough, the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock. But that lamb never forgets how the shepherd cared for him when his mother rejected him. When the shepherd calls for the flock, guess who runs to him first? That is right, the bummer lamb. He knows his voice intimately. It is not that the bummer lamb is loved more, it just knows intimately the one who loves it and believes it because he has experienced that love one on one.

I thought this story was wonderful and a great reminder that the Good Shepherd loves and cares for all of His flock especially the rejected bummer lambs – loving each of us one on one.

Isaiah 40:11 (NIV) “He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.”

Psalm 100:3 (NIV) reminds us “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Few of us escape the hurt of rejection which can break our spirits; it is painful. The rejection might come from a close friend, a spouse or other family member that we hold dear. Sadly, rejection can come from anyone. With today’s technology we are connected to hundreds of people via e-communication and social media platforms where sometimes people might ignore our texts and chats or belittle our posts leaving us feeling rejected. It is something none of us can really avoid and we feel its sting when it happens.

Maybe you grew up trying to be a “people pleaser” so as not to be rejected. I know I have fallen into that trap. Unfortunately, this is the operation of seeking human love, and none of us know how to do anything else until we taste God's unconditional love.

God loves, God accepts, and God protects us  –  we are not rejects in His eye. God is always there for us when we are hurting, and the Bible reminds us that He is the salve when we feel pain.

Psalm 34:17-20 “When his people pray for help, he listens and rescues them from their troubles. The Lord is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope. The Lord’s people may suffer a lot, but he will always bring them safely through. Not one of their bones will ever be broken.” (CEV).

Even this pandemic and 2020 may have turned you into a bummer lamb, feeling alone or rejected – head low, discouraged and overwhelmed. But God loves and watches over us – we don’t need to feel rejected or alone. God seeks us……He looks for us.

Psalm 95:7 (NIV) “for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,” 

I have known the sting of rejection and have had betrayals in friendships. I now know the love of the Good Shepherd; and I feel loved in an extraordinary way. For me, that trumps the rejection of others.

1 Peter 2:4 (NIV) “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him” 

Have others mistreated you? Do you feel alone, unimportant or unwanted? God’s love is healing when you place your life and thoughts into His hands. God sees us as precious and unique and of great value. How do you see yourself ­– are you a bummer lamb right now, waiting to be loved and accepted?

If this is you, I pray you will allow His love to be a balm for your rejection issues. You are precious to Him, and He longs to gather you close to His heart so you can learn the sound of His voice and feel the comfort of His heartbeat.