Tend Your Sheep! (Post #1)

I knew I was incredibly blessed to be able to be a stay at home mom, but nearly five years and two kids into it I still found the biggest question in the forefront of my mind each pre-dawn session with the Lord to be, “God, what am I supposed to be doing? How should I be spending my time?”

You see, there has always been a burning in my heart to do something big. I’ve felt this way as long as I can remember. I can very clearly recall being very young, laying in my bed at night, looking out my window at the star filled Kentucky sky and knowing without a doubt that God had big plans for my life. Fast forward nearly 30 years and most days “something big” means a full night with no pee pee in the Pull Up®!

“Seriously, God? I know you have big things for me. What should I be doing?” And then one morning, sitting on my couch on Northern Virginia in May 2014 I heard in my spirit, “Tend your sheep.” And suddenly a flood of Biblical examples came to me. The day David was anointed to be king he was tending his sheep. (1 Sam. 16) The day Moses received his charge to lead the Israelites out of Egypt he was tending sheep. (Exodus 3) How did Jacob earn his wives which led to him becoming the father of the twelve tribes of Israel? By tending sheep! (Hosea 12:12) What job did Christ think so important that he told Peter (three times!) he should do if he really loved him? Tend His sheep! (John 21) And remember those guys out in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night? For goodness sakes, even Jesus is called the great shepherd! (Ps.23; John 10; Hebrews 13; 1 Peter 5:4)   

Even if you don’t feel like you have a calling for “something big” (though in His kingdom, anything and everything done for Him is something big!) you have most likely found yourself covered in spit up, sweeping the same spot under the table for the tenth time in one day, buried under a pile of laundry, entirely exhausted and yet still unable to answer the question, “What did you do all day?” Take heart, sister! We’ve all been there! In the next few weeks we’ll look more deeply at our calling to tend our sheep (our kids!) and the freedom and power in giving ourselves fully to that task!  So much more to come!!! 😊

“I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 34:15 (NLT) 

Here's a little extra encouragement as you begin this new week!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3YLJCOKOzM

New series starting soon!

  Come all ye exhausted, frustrated, tired, cranky, moody, confused, upset, weepy and discouraged mommies. Let us reason together!

I once heard our incredible pastor's wife say that the most powerful words in women's ministry are, "me too." And she is so right! If you've ever had the privilege of bringing your wearied soul to a group of ladies, who share your love for the Lord and your calling to motherhood, and have heard them say the words, "me too," in response to your cries of exhaustion, fears of failure, frustration and self condemnation, your ups and your downs, your lowest points and your highest highs then you know how powerful these words can be.

I am about to start a new series for all of those mommies who have ever found themselves in the midst of three piles of laundry, desperately in need of a shower, knowing you need to go vacuum that same spot under the kitchen table for the third time today, and praying you can keep your eyes open until bedtime, and in the midst of all that stopped and asked yourself, "Is this really it? Is this really making a difference?" You once dreamed of impacting the world and now you feel like you can't even make a dent in the dirty dishes. If you are saying, "Yes! I've been there!" Then let me say to you, "Me too!"

In many ways it is these feelings that prompted this blog in the first place. I want to encourage others and myself that being mommy is not just something to get through, it is a powerful, divine calling! In the coming series, most likely to be titled "Tend Your Sheep," I will be sharing some of the things the Lord has laid on my heart about this precious, albiet, exhausting season of life. My hope is to inspire you to take hold of this calling and to carry it out with boldness, and also to not lose site of the other visions of success and accomplishment that the Lord has placed on your heart. 

Please share my blog with anyone you know who may find this helpful. Looking forward to exploring this more. In the meantime... Do not grow weary in doing good for in due season you shall reap a harvest if you do not faint! The joy of the Lord is your strength, so don't just get through. Do everything your hands find to do as for the Lord, and live each day determined to enjoy and have your life in abundance, to the full until it overflows! (Galatians 6:9, Nehemiah 8:10, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Colossians 3:23, John 10:10 AMP)

Kids Are Like Concrete!

If you know anything about the process of pouring concrete, you know that the wet mixture is not simply poured in the desired spot with no guidelines. You don't pour it out and hope it stays in the right place. You build a temporary frame (a mold, boundaries) in which the wet mixture is allowed to form and harden.

Once poured into the frame, much care is taken to gently smooth out all the rough spots using proper tools and gentle yet firm, consistent pressure. All of this is done within the safety of the temporary framework (or boundaries). While the concrete is drying you must be vigilant to safeguard it. Keep an eye on it to ensure it is not messed with while drying. Because it is so impressionable at this stage, some people have a hard time not messing with it. And there are also things that simply occur in everyday life, such as debris blowing across it and sticking to the wet surface. You must be always at the ready to do damage control. Go back and smooth out these areas again and again so they don't dry that way. As the keeper of the concrete you must constantly be alert and keep watch while it is in this vulnerable state.

Finally, don't remove the frame (boundaries) too soon. If the concrete is not ready, any pressure applied will cause it to run all over the place, or at the very least, it will leave a mark. Wait until it has set up properly. Then once it is strong enough the frame can be removed, and it is then able to withstand extreme amounts of force and still keep its shape.

Please note: It is much easier to shape and smooth and form the concrete when it is new and wet. Early in the process the mixture can be molded and shaped with simple tools and gentle pressure but, wait too long, and you will need a jackhammer! This would be much harder on the concrete and the operator!

It can be hard to resist leaving your own mark on wet concrete! When it comes to the moldable lives of our young children, how about taking your tools and writing the name of Jesus on the surface? Then wait patiently and confidently for it to permanently dry in place before removing the necessary boundaries.

A favorite Mommy and Mikaela pic from 2013

For more on boundaries and kids I highly recommend the book "Boundaries with Kids" by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.