Devotional: Gentle Leading

by Molly

“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.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭11‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Message:

This was a verse which we clung to when our children were young; in those sleep-deprived blurry years of nappies and feeds, and the equally exhausting and hectic toddler years.  As our brood grew up, my capacity to do more outside of caring for them increased and so did my expectations of myself to do so. However, that was before we were blessed with our beautiful daughter with significant sensory processing and other trauma-related issues. 

Her chronological age meant she “should” have been capable of performing many basic activities of daily living. However, the reality was far from this. For several years there was a battle with inner frustration; we “should” be in a different place by now. I’m not quite sure when the penny finally dropped, that God had entrusted her to us, with all her colourful kaleidoscope of needs, and that rather than placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves we needed simply to relax into the pace of the journey. 

So, back to this verse; I assumed it stopped applying to me when our children were older. However, all those same issues still apply to those of us with children, or loved ones who have additional needs; we still need to assist or support them in many of the activities of daily living. So, now you can give yourself permission to do a little less, not to assume that you can fit wall-to-wall activity into the day, to allow yourself and your loved one to walk more gently. Failing often is naturally going to be part of the journey but hold fast to the underlying reassurance that God is leading you gently through this prolonged and blessed season of a dependent child or loved one. 

Prayer pointer:

Father, help us to know your gentle leading this week; help us to make time to hear your words of love and encouragement, and to enjoy the beauty and wonder in our everyday lives.