He Gently Leads

“Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,  In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;  He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”   -Isaiah 40:11

He will gently lead me

Through this time of sleepless nights,

With little lamb drawn close.

The Shepherd

He will gently lead me

I will not flounder, flail, flop

Or fail.

For He tends the flock.

He makes me lie in green pastures.

He leads me to still waters.

He restores my soul.

He does it gently.

So I blink and find I am on the other side

Joyfully in the flock

Surrounded by Love, lamb close and secure.

The verse from Isaiah was so encouraging to me as I was tired after a week or two of waking for teething pain back in March.  Reflecting birthed this poem.  I just happen to be in this place once again.  I spotted the tooth beginning to cut the gum just the other day.  Something about knowing the cause of the waking and the fussing makes it all SO much more bearable and me much more compassionate toward the cries of my Little Love. 

As Mother’s Day draws near I think of this poem and smile.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd has led me gently through this first year of mothering.  I am so thankful for this.  

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we allow ourselves to be gently led by The Good Shepherd.  May we delight in Him—rejoicing that he knows what we need; he knows what our little ones need—and trust that He will give us the strength to love them (and others too!) as follow Him in loving obedience.

Jessica :)

Eager as the Little Ones

It would seem…

The new act of parenting is as fall.

Life as it were

surrenders

dropping in dazzling color,

Fading

to a pleasing,

fallen,

crunchy brown.

Moving fast into winter—

Barren and cold and strikingly beautiful.

(Those tired smiles are genuine and true.)

Inside

the life rings grow,

the roots deepen,

The days stretch out—

Long and gray.

We long.

We hope.

We wonder.

Will spring come? 

And then…

One day it does!  Buds popping, trees leafing, sun shining, winds blowing.

We

rush

into

ALL

THIS

as

if

for

the

first

time!

Eager as the little ones who lead the way to exploring LIFE!

New and fresh and gloriously abundant again.

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we embrace the seasons of life in all their beauty.  As we do may we trust that God uses each with skillful purpose growing us more into the image of Christ as we allow Him to work in and through us.

Jessica :)