The Purpose of Breaking!

Breaking the Lamb's leg

A woman who took a vacation to visit family back in Ireland. While she was there, she visited an uncle who was a shepherd.While visiting with him, she walked into a barn and saw a young lamb with its leg in a splint. “Awwww, what happened?” she wanted to know. “Oh,” said the old shepherd, “he had a bad habit of running off, so yesterday, I broke his leg.”When the old man told her that, she was appalled. “Why on earth would you do that”, she asked. “Well”, he said, “the little guy had a bad habit of running off. Every time he would do that, he would be in danger. He could fall off the edge of a cliff and kill himself, or a wolf or some other predator could find him, kill him and eat him. He was a stubborn little guy, too. Every time he ran off, I would have to go find him. Then, I would set him with the rest of the flock only to have him run off again.So, I broke his leg. But, that’s not the end of it. After I broke his leg, I also mended it. I put a splint on it, all the while, I was talking to him, comforting him, consoling him. Now, I have to carry water in to him every day. Not only that, I have to feed him by hand. As I do, I continue to talk to him and comfort him. By the time his leg heals, he will know my voice. He will know that it is I who takes care of him. He will come when I call him. He will stay with me, no matter what. Now, I will be able to lead him, and the rest of the sheep will follow him. This lamb will one day be the best sheep of the flock – why, because yesterday, I broke his leg. In order to break its will, I had to break its leg.”Often, for God to be able to use us, He must first break us.