Part of the role of a shepherd is to help the sheep move from one location to another. At the right time, the shepherd calls the sheep by name, and, walking ahead of them, leads them to look for new pasture. In the same way, we too change, and move, and grow, and Jesus walks ahead of us, especially through the paths of the dark valleys of our lives. These aren’t unfamiliar paths for our Shepherd, who has walked all the paths of life, and even the paths of death, before. With Jesus, we walk paths of joy and sorrow, love and service, and we never walk alone!