By: Charity Gutierrez
Originally Written on: Jan 30, 2009
Isaiah 40:11
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Being a mom is not always easy. It is so reassuring to know that God is always tending my family, carrying my children close to his heart, and gently leading me. Because even more than my family is “my” family.. my family is His.
The Prayer of a Parent:
Lord help me to remember how much you love me and the children you have blessed me with. You carry my children when I am not able to carry them. You are watching them in those moments I am not, shielding them and protecting them from everything I cannot. Show me how to love them so that in some small way I may reflect a fraction of your love.
You continue to gently lead me, though many times I fail as a parent by not gently leading the children you have entrusted to me. I lose my temper and I punish too quickly. As if from an out-of-body view point I watch my little one run screaming and crying into his room after I disciplined him way too soon. In those moments, when I seem to have messed everything up, I can feel Your presence leading me to a place where it can all be made right: A place of vulnerability and humbleness; A place where I must bend way down to look into two little eyes and say “I’m sorry. I did not do that right. Can you please forgive me?”
Lord, you know that it is for me the hardest place to go to and yet the easiest place to go to. Because every time I humble myself and make it to that place a little voice always answers me in the same way. And somewhere in that little voice that answers is Yours saying, “Yes. I forgive you.” Even more amazing to me are the words that follow from my child, who I wronged, saying, “I love you,” as he reaches out to hold me. In this moment I cannot help but think about your goodness. Thank you God for your infinite compassion on me. Teach me to forgive like that Lord. To forgive like you.
And seconds later, as my child now stands in the place of his time out, he looks at me with a big smile on his face saying, “Can I come back out now?” waiting for my permission so that he may come back out.” I of course say “yes”. It is then that You remind me Lord that even after You’ve forgiven me you still will not force Your way on me. I must choose to invite You, and each time You are always standing and waiting, asking “Can I come back out now?”, waiting for me to say “yes.” That is when You heal, strengthen, and provide for me. After I have come to that place of humbleness and allow You to take over.
So for all the other times in my day when I mess up and start to act, or think, or talk in a way that I know is not how you are leading me to, help me to always be quick to come to that place where you make things right. That place where I bend down in humbleness before You and say “I’m sorry. I did not do that right. Can you please forgive me?” Thank you God that you always answer, “Yes. I forgive you. … I love you,” as you gently reach out to hold me. You stand with a big smile on your face saying, “Can I come out now?” for You truly are the Shepherd of my Soul waiting to lead me. Let my answer always be, “I love You Lord. Yes, please come back out.”
In Your precious name Jesus.
Amen
