In the Service of the Shephard King - Part 2

Shepherd King

Part 2

The road I was to follow was set out straight before me, though it was narrow. There was no turning to the right or to the left. But very early in my life of battles, the road narrowed so much that I didn't think it was passable. It had pot holes and rocks with thorns, and from the thick forest of trees - overhanging branches. There were biting flies and gnats, and even snakes. I couldn't believe that this was the way, so I checked out a side road that seemed to have several alternate routes branching away from the main – all very broad and easily traveled. There were even signs that read “Greener Pastures”, “Easy Street”, “Name it and Claim it”, “Just Have Faith” and “Positive Thinking”.

I headed for the easy way, but just as I was to set my foot down, a gate that I had not noticed slammed shut and barred my entrance to every single side road. There was only one way to go.

I looked back at the narrow way, and then I saw it........ On the side of the road, there was a sign. It read: “Parkinson's Disease; 50 Miles”. This did not penetrate my brain at first. Surely I read it wrong. What good could possibly come from going through this dreadful town? I wasn't prepared for this. I decided to turn back and go the way I came to the shelter from which I had come, but at that moment there was an avalanche of gravel and rocks and boulders that I couldn't possible have gotten through. And so with a heavy heart, I sat on a large boulder, trying to calm my fears and quiet my mind.

My shield had been damaged by the falling rocks. It wasn't long before my enemies saw this also. Out of every bush and from behind every turn in the road, flaming arrows whizzed. They began to yell out lies to me: You cannot make it down this road to the end; The King could have stopped this from happening, so He must not love you or be powerful enough to provide another way. The King couldn't be real. He is cruel. You have broken his rules too many times and now you can't be forgiven. You did something terrible to deserve this. It's your own fault.  You don't have enough faith..........

I crumpled down onto the ground, unable to stand.

It was at that moment that someone shielded me from any further woundings from the arrows. He wrapped his body around me so that the arrows hit him instead of me. He lifted me up and carried me to the side of the road where there was a door I had not seen before. And he carried me in, shutting the door behind us.