Valley Miracle

It was a simple ornament that had been carved upon the steeple that day in the valley. A plain lamb void of all fancy. It had been set there not to draw attention to itself mind you, but instead to bestow a great honor. The church was Chantey Baptist nestled safe in the hollow of the Massanutten Mountains and the man who carved it was Wil Thomas, better known as “Rabbit”.

I know that for a fact because I’m that man, and a stubborn one too I might add. I aint never been the church going type and I wasn’t about to be turned into one either. So they called me Rabbit cause I could hop away so fast I vowed never to be caught! I knew the people in the town talked. “There goes that heathen Rabbit Thomas. He aint never gonna be caught dead in our new church” they would say. How they ever talked me into helping build that thing I’ll never know!

It was blazing hot on the Valley Pike that day and the usual cool breeze was absent but the minister worked us like there weren’t no tomorrow. We hammered hard and long atop that roof and the others sang hymns to pass the time. Me…I tried to block out that blasted noise with my hammer, but I could still hear em’ plain as day, “A- n-d…. thank Him… for the La- m- b of God.”

That was when I noticed the stack of shingles right behind me, but by then it was too late. Almost like slow motion I saw myself trip and lose my footing…. and down I went like a rock off a mountain ridge straight into the valley below. After that everything went black!

When I finally came to I was for sure I was dead! The Sun shone so bright in my eyes that at first I didn’t see everyone standing around me. And instead of feeling the hard hot ground beneath me I felt as though I had landed on a cloud. It was then I realized what had happened. I had fallen, but I was alive…I was alive!!!!

I sat up and looked past the amazed faces of my friends. There I saw it! A flock of sheep had just passed by when I fell and the youngest little lamb…. well, he was my cloud. That little fella had broken my fall and it had cost him his life. I didn’t have the first broken bone, by my fall had crushed him to death.

In the valley at that moment, with that hymn still ringing in my ears, my heart was changed forever. I had met that Lamb of God and he saved me! So you see, I carved that little lamb myself; right there in the place I had fallen. I carved it on the steeple to honor the One who died for me. Saved by the lamb. How bout’ you?

“Worthy is the lamb who was slain!” Revelation 5
Story adaptation from Rick Atchley in "A Shepherd's Heart"
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