“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (John 10:14).
I love the image that we are given of Jesus as our Shepherd. It is so deeply comforting. The assurance He gives, that He knows us and we know Him, further expresses the depth and closeness of that relationship. It is that feeling of closeness and trust, like strong, loving and familiar arms around us, that I was thinking of and hoping to express.
In seeking a model for the lamb, I learned how very timid sheep are and how fearful they are of strangers. I located some darling lambs and sheep in a field to photograph, but to them I was a fearsome stranger, and they wouldn’t let me come near. I was fortunate indeed to find this little lamb, who quite contentedly posed for me in the arms of the person who had raised him. There was no fear in his face; only trust and serenity, which was just what I needed.
— Kathy Lawrence
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