People, dogs, motorcycles, and sheep are the norm at our “busy” mission intersection! Because the sheep gather and completely block one side of the “roundabout”, traffic going both ways is in the habit of keeping to the left to turn the corner. To tell the truth, I’m kind of grateful to those sheep because that part of the road that they have chosen as their sleeping area has deep crazy ruts in it. Imagine my surprise as I rounded that corner yesterday when a soldier, perfectly garbed in his olive drab, shiny boots, and sunglasses, stepped right in front of the truck with his hand held up, palm towards me. He told me to turn my truck right around and make a proper turn around the roundabout. I had to ask him to repeat himself because I didn’t trust my ears. So I obediently did a 3 point turn right there in front of him, went back around the sign, on the correct side, and it was at that moment that I registered the fact that there were no sheep on the right side of the road! I completed the turn and then he stepped out of the road and let me pass. You have to understand that this is a back road leading basically only to the mission and a little used ferry crossing, and I have never seen a soldier standing in that area to direct “traffic” in my 18 years here. Curious. Out of the blue weird. Today, on my way home, you better believe I chose to obey the rules of the road (though no one else does) and I drove around the correct side of the road and I honked my way through the sleeping sheep. Sheep are dumb and stubborn, or maybe just feeling entitled to their place in the sun. I was right up on them, honking, and they refused to move until kids came to chase them out of the way. Do you wonder why we are likened to sheep in the bible? Dumb? Stubborn? Feeling like we have the right to be doing just what we’re doing even though it’s dangerous or stupid? Thanks be to the Lord who nudges us in our hearts to get out of the way of danger. It’s up to us to respond and move!
