“SHEPHERD’S ROD”

"THE BURDEN BEARERS"

THE BURDEN IS NOT TRULY HEAVY
TO THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE WHOLLY MINE
WHOLLY CONSECRATED
TO DO MY PERFECT WORK

DON'T BE FOUND ON THE OUTSIDE
OF MY WORK
BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE EYES TO SEE
THE PEOPLE WHO I HAVE CALLED
TO LEAD

SOMEDAY, THE ONES WHO I HAVE HELD IN PRIVATE
WILL BRING FORTH THE TREASURE
WHICH I HAVE PLACED WITHIN THEM
AND THE TRULY WISE
THE FULLY HUNGRY WILL SUP
AND KNOW THAT I, ALONE,
HAVE CREATED AND FORMED THE VESSEL
TO CARRY THE FULLNESS
OF MY OFFERING TO THE MASSES
FOR THESE END TIMES

THERE WILL BE MANY OF THE FAMOUS KIND
WHICH WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE
THE HUMBLE OFFERINGS OF THE FEW
WHICH I HAVE FILLED
EVERY DAY IS A CHOICE TO THEM
WHETHER THEY WILL SWALLOW THEIR PRIDE
AND SUBMIT TO MY WORK
THROUGH THE MOST UNLIKELY SOURCES

DO YOU NOT REMEMBER THAT MY KINGDOM
IS UPSIDE DOWN?
THE GREATEST SERVANT IS THE LOWEST OF ALL
AND THOSE WHO RAISE THEMSELVES UP
OR
ALLOW OTHERS TO PLACE THEM ON PEDESTALS OF MAN
WILL BE FOUND
LACKING ~ BEGGING

ASK FOR EYES TO SEE
MY TRUE CHURCH
AS I HAVE BROUGHT FORTH
MY OFFERINGS
THE FULLNESS OF MY GIFTS
THROUGH
MY ANOINTED ONES

AND EVEN SO.....
THERE ARE THOSE
WHOSE LOVE OF ME
WHOSE DEVOTION OF ME
WILL NOT BE SEEN BY MEN
ON THIS EARTHEN SOIL
BUT THEY HAVE PLEASED ME
THEY HAVE SERVED ME
THEY HAVE BROUGHT FORTH
MY PERFECT WILL

~
THERE
WAS A MAN
WHO PULLED A WAGON
THROUGH TOWN
HE PULLED IT
DAY AFTER DAY
THROUGH THE TOWN SQUARE
THE WAGON LOOKED
TO CONTAIN
ROCKS, DIRT, SCRAPS OF WOOD, ETC.
BUT NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE
TO ANYONE WHO SAW IT
THIS MAN TALKED TO
NO ONE
HE HAD NOTHING
TO SAY

THEN
ONE DAY
A STORM
CAME UP WITH
HORRIFYING WINDS
THE WIND WAS STRONG
AND THE PEOPLE
WALKING ABOUT TOWN
BECAME
VERY AFRAID
STILL THE MAN WALKED
AS IF
THE STORM DID NOT EXIST
HE PULLED
HIS HOOD TIGHTER
ABOUT HIS
HEAD AND NECK
BUT HIS WALK
WAS STILL BRISK
AND HIS GAIT SURE

THE
SUN CAME OUT
ON THESE SUMMER DAYS
AND IT
WOULD BEAT DOWN
AND MAKE IT MISERABLE
FOR EVERYONE
WHO CHOSE TO BE OUTSIDE
BUT STILL
THE MAN PULLED HIS WAGON
WITHOUT COMPLAINT
FOR SURELY
THIS WAS HIS LOT IN LIFE
HIS PURPOSE

ONE DAY
A MAN TRIED TO STOP
THE MAN PULLING THE WAGON
TO ASK HIM
FOR DIRECTIONS
BUT HE
WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK
AT THE MAN ASKING
THE QUESTION
HE KEPT RIGHT ON WALKING
AND PULLING A WAGON
FULL OF NOTHING
OF VALUE

LATER...
MUCH LATER
AS THIS MAN BECAME OLDER
AND THE WAGON MORE FULL
OF USELESS MATERIAL
HE WALKED SLOWER
BUT STILL
WENT THE SAME ROUTE
EVERYDAY
COVERING THE SAME AREA
UNTIL
THE DAY HE DIED
NO ONE
ATTENDED HIS FUNERAL
NO ONE
KNEW HIS NAME
NO ONE
REALLY CARED
THAT HE WAS
GONE

AND YET, NOW
HIS WAGON TOLD THE STORY
OF HIS LIFE
WHAT
WOULD THE PEOPLE
FIND IN THE WAGON?
WAS
THERE A TREASURE
OR A HIDDEN AGENDA
BEHIND THIS MAN'S JOURNEY
EACH DAY?

THE
TOWNSPEOPLE
EXAMINED THE WAGON
AND FOUND NOTHING
BUT
WHAT THEY SAW

THEY
SAW NOTHING
THAT WOULD INTEREST
ANYONE
"HOW STRANGE!"
THEY COMMENTED
THIS MAN'S LIFE
WAS COMPLETELY USELESS
"WHAT A SHAME"
THEY SAID AS THEY SPOKE
OF THE
RECENTLY DEPARTED

BUT HEAVEN
TOLD A DIFFERENT STORY
THIS MAN WAS GREETED
WITH SMILES AND A HUG
FROM THE
MASTER, HIMSELF
"WELL DONE, FRIEND - VERY WELL DONE"
AND YET
WHAT
DID THIS MAN DO?

NO ONE
SAW ANY ACT OF KINDNESS
NO ONE
EXPERIENCED
ANY COMPASSION OR AID
WHICH THIS MAN GAVE
HE JUST
WALKED ABOUT TOWN
PULLING JUNK
BUT...
HE WAS REALLY
ON A MISSION
EACH AND EVERY DAY

HE PRAYED
FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE TOWN
HE PRAYED
FOR THE LITTLE CHILDREN
AND THE SICK ONES
HE PRAYED
FOR PROTECTION FOR ALL
THAT HE SAW
HE WALKED AND PRAYED
AND BECAME
A RIGHTEOUS COVERING
FOR THE TOWN
AND YET
TO TELL EVERYONE
WOULD HAVE RENDERED
HIS JOB DIFFERENT

HE DIDN'T WANT
THE PRAISE OF MAN
HE DIDN'T WANT
THEIR HONOR
HE DIDN'T EVEN WANT
THEIR ATTENTION
HE
LONGED TO PLEASE
THE
ONLY ONE
THAT HE KNEW WELL
HE
LONGED TO LOVE
THE KING
THE
ONLY WAY
HE KNEW HOW
~

CHECK YOUR HEARTS, FRIENDS
ASK TO SEE
TO LOVE
TO BE MY TRUE PEOPLE
TO ALL PEOPLE

THOSE TO WHOM YOU SCORN
COULD JUST BE THE ONES CARRYING
A BURDEN FOR YOU
WHICH YOU COULD NEVER CARRY
~

THE ORIGINAL BURDEN BEARER



THERE’S MORE...