Perpetually Conflicted

[pastordzaster]

"He considered himself among a third group he named the sheepdogs. 'I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.'�

This anecdote, quoting a Viet Nam vet was ringing through my head—BEFORE I got to it.

Having spent the first four years of my adult life as a “sheepdog� (as a US Army Ranger), I’ve spent a good bit of my pastoral life in trouble. Why? Because I can’t help but confront “wolves� who, in my experience, tend to be relatively influential. I can’t help but “round up� straying sheep and, of course, sheep don’t always like it.

Needless to say, my desire to be liked (as everyone has) and my penchant for taking on “the elephant in the room� leaves me perpetually conflicted.