Day Three

April 3

The lambs have arrived! Anyone living here would call me crackers for making such a fuss… but I cannot seem to help myself. They are simply adorable!

We awoke to another gloriously sunny day. Blue skies and bright puffy clouds, paired with a thick frost laying heavily across the fields…

Leah and I took Teddy, the very energetic pup, for his early morning walk. The dew was so thick that his little beard and undercarriage were fairly dripping wet. He mildly tolerated my infatuation with the newly arrived lambs.

Mid-morning, we set off across the Dales to the seaside town of Whitby - a picturesque and quaint little town filled with all sorts of unique little shops and passageways.

We completed the breathy 199 step climb leading up to the famous St. Mary’s Cathedral - standing high along the cliff walls and were rewarded with absolutely stunning views.

We might have found ourselves roaming about the garden area behind the tea room which is closed to the public at this time. But the door was open… and for sure, we didn’t know better.

Traditional fish and chips for lunch and a bit of window shopping finished off our little seaside adventure.

After arriving back home, I could not resist the urge to try to photograph the little lambs prancing about the far field. Leah joined me for a bit, but became far too cold for comfort.

I dipped under the thorny row of hedges, trying to sit as still as possible along the rock wall. I just wanted to observe and study these marvelous little creatures.

Newborn twins… each with bright red tattoos, marking them in some way, happily danced about while the mama ewes warily watched my approach.

The mothers remained fairly still, calmly grazing, while the young lambs continually lost sight of her. They easily got lost in the mix and turned about, just a few feet away.

Thus, the continued chorus of bleating - crying out for mom… followed by her deeper and quieter response. As soon as the little loves heard her voice, they happily bounded back to her side.

Over and over, this scene repeated itself.

Wandering
Crying
Response
Peace

It’s the message of the Cross laid bare…

“All of us, like sheep,
have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths
to follow our own.

Yet, the Lord laid on him (not us)
the sins of us all.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭6‬

The entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah recounts the suffering of Christ in our place. His deep love for us when we deserved nothing.

His faithful, loving-kindness,
His undeserved mercy -
calling out to us in our wandering…
bringing hope and
deep, unwavering peace.

We are steadily creeping through Holy Week - approaching the most glorious celebration of our faith.

The death and resurrection of our Lord!

And we have this blessed opportunity for just a few days - to sit among the sheep, thoroughly soaked by the morning dew, watching lambs learn the voice of their mom. Their first shepherd. Their first protector.

And it causes us to likewise remember to turn and cry out to OUR Great Shepherd for all we need.

Blessings!