He Leaves the 99 for the 1

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.” Matthew 18:12-13.

In this case, he left the 2,300 for the 99.

Carlos’s herd had scattered that night. He was still missing a marker by the time he got what he thought was everything herded back together, and wanted someone to come count his herd to see if and what he was missing. That was finally around 2 pm when my mom got his call. He had been out riding and looking since 5 that morning.

Down in the lower country, we had just gotten done gathering and loading the yearling bucks onto the semi trailer to haul from one pasture up Angelo’s to the meadow at Rock Creek when Carlos called with the news. We didn’t get the full story, neither he or my mom had good service, but I had a strong feeling that I better head north.

I was already hooked onto the trailer with my horse saddled and dogs in tow. As I made my way up the rough, winding forest road, I spot a lone lamb! “Is there more scattered through the trees behind him?” “Did he come all this way from Carlos’s herd?” “Is he crippled or sick?” “What should my game plan be for getting him? I know if I don’t get him now we’ll never see him again!” All these questions and more race through my mind, as I am on a mission to get to Carlos’s herd as fast as I can. I scramble to unload my horse and send my dog, Ivy, around the lamb as I watch him take off running deeper into the trees. I ride around and around looking. Finally, Ivy gets on his track and sniffs her way right to him! Not bad tracking for a Border Collie. As he frantically and speedily tries to escape again, Ivy takes off to get ahead of him, and I weave around, between, and over trees at a lope with my loop ready. When she finally gets him slowed down for me to get up to him, I throw my loop around his neck, and get him loaded in the trailer. The lamb was left behind from Bobby’s herd who had been in this area several days before. I feel bad for the lamb lost out here alone for that long, surprised he hadn’t been eaten yet. I can tell he’s from Bobby’s herd because of the blue pothook brand he has on his back. We brand each of our herds with different colors and brands so we know to whom they belong. I get back on the road for my original destination, praising God for the opportunity to find and gather this lost lamb, and for the amazing dog and horse that helped me do it. I think back to that strong feeling I had to head north, and I wonder if that was for this moment. If that was God encouraging me to be right here, right now, to see and get this lamb. I rejoice and smile as I think it was. “…he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.” (vv. 13)

I’m back on my horse again, riding out through the sagebrush toward the herd of sheep. Carlos has been waiting a while at this point, and I tell him of my lamb gathering story. Carlos, his brother Gregorio, Ivy, and I get set up to count the herd of what should be 2,300 ewes and lambs. The sagebrush is thick, and the old ewes don’t want to run this time of day as they are supposed to be meandering up toward their bed ground. By the time we get to the back of the herd, they are in a patch of trees trying to stream out from every opening, and running hard when they do. As the last lamb jumps between Carlos and I to join his flock, I am flustered as I look at my tally machine. 22. I should have tallied 23. Did I mess up in all the jumble of the sheep not cooperating? Did I just miss a tally? Is he still missing a bunch out there somewhere?

Carlos tells me the rest of the story. That morning when he rode out to his herd, he was finding tracks and little bunches of ewes and lambs scattered everywhere. They had gone all the way up Hams Fork ridge, over into the next draw, and onto the next ridge over. They had walked across the main road into Bobby’s allotment, tracks and bunches in every direction from where Carlos had left them the night before. “…will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” (vv.12) And on top of some of the sheep tracks he saw a bear track. Did I miscount, or were the missing 99 in the belly of a bear? The sun was nearing its time to start setting, and I knew I couldn’t just head home. I told Carlos I would look in the one area to the north, drive to Bobby’s camp to see if he by chance picked up our missing bunch, and stay in our sheep camp over night to help look more the next morning if nothing showed up. Gregorio went with the main herd to bed them for the night, and Carlos continued looking on his way towards camp.

I spend the next several hours riding and driving until dark, praying to St. Anthony for his intercession in finding our lost sheep.

Nothing but tracks. I don’t even get to see Bobby.

I drive back to camp in the dark, stopping on a ridge for service to let my mom know I’m staying the night, and stake my horse out near camp before crawling into the cozy camp bed with my dogs below me. I’m up before light again, praying, and discerning a game plan for the morning. I don’t even remember now if I had any food but a granola bar, and I dang sure didn’t get coffee! I decide to drive down Hams Fork ridge. This is the ridge where he had bedded the scattered herd the night before, and where their tracks covered the two-track road. I would drive as far as I could before climbing on my horse and riding all the nooks and crannies. As the trees open up, I look over to the beauty of the rising sun, and THERE THEY ARE! Right there, in the little opening in the trees is standing a little bunch of sheep! What looks like about 100 head. Tears fill my eyes and the smile won’t leave my face as I unload my horse and dog to start trailing them toward their herd.

The missing 99!

“And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’” Luke 15:5-6