Another African Sheep - of a slightly different kind!

As I think I have mentioned before in this blog - I collect sheep.  It was a 'collection' that started after hearing Bonnie Thomas speak at a conference I was at about someone she knew who collected sheep - to remind her that she is just a sheep - and Christ is the Shepherd.  The Scripture is full of analogies between Christians and Sheep, and then there is the great picture that Jesus is not only our Shepherd but also became the Lamb that was slain - for us, for me.

So at a point in my life where I didn't collect anything, while some others might have collected teddy bears or 'cow things' or 'pig things' or 'rooster things' or even tea pots, or tea spoons or whatever else, I decided that if ever I began collecting something, I would collect sheep.  Some time later I found a small hand painted brooch in the shape of a sheep, bought it and pinned it on the coat of a little teddy bear my brother gave me shortly before going to Bible College.  Once others started asking about the little sheep brooch, and heard the story, I began to receive 'gifts' of sheep in various forms from time to time.  Cow, teddy bear, pig, rooster, frog, cat, dog, 'stuff' was easy to find, but with sheep 'stuff' being pretty rare it seemed whenever someone who knew me (not least my wonderful husband!), found something 'sheep', they 'felt compelled' to buy it and give it to me!  Over the past 20 years my collection has expanded somewhat.  I now have 'sheep' from across the globe.  I have pottery sheep, wooden sheep, fabric sheep, a small beaded sheep, real lambswool sheep, sheep on tea-towels and on mugs and on bags and salt shakers, rugs and quilts, and books about sheep.  Many people have suggested that the only sheep I lacked, was a real sheep!  I was actually offered one, at one time, but had to turn it down, as where would I put it?  

Well just a couple of weeks ago while in South Africa I was gifted an African sheep!

It is life-sized black-faced African sheep (one of those that look more similar to a goat from a distance that make the Scripture passage of separating the sheep from the goats, more meaningful)....but it is a hand made sheep, made in the African style of beads and wire!

I couldn't even begin to imagine how many beads have been used to make this sheep!  It really is a work of art and very, very well done.  The contours of the body are perfectly shaped. And the beads are done in little zig-zag loops to give the look of it being 'woolly'.  It even has a cute black tail!

It is big enough for my 3 year old grand-daughter to sit on - but I'm not going to let her as I don't think the wire framework is quite that strong - but that gives you some idea of the size of it.  It will serve as a holder for my hat for now.

So the joke in our home at the moment is 'there's a sheep in the house'!!!

But it is another real reminder to me, to remember what it means to be a 'sheep' and what it means that when I remember that I am just a sheep I am more ready to remember that I need a Shepherd and that Christ is the perfect and Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.

As we soon come to another Easter time - this sheep is also a good reminder to me of the real meaning of Easter!