“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

That moment when you lay eyes on that precious life that’s been prepping your heart to love for months now…….priceless!! What you hold in your arms your greatest accomplishments to date. It’s one of the most memorable and anticipated life events that gets logged down in the annals of parental history. Ask any mother and no matter how old her child is, she is quick to point out birth weight stats, duration of labor and doctor names; the baby books come flying out along with all the details of surrounding events. Dads recall the fullness of pride and joy; what a monumental, unforgettable day! These memories have been permanently etched in a parent’s ‘proudest moments’ category. And so our journey begins, but never ends. Once a parent, always a parent.

It is now our responsibility to ensure the safety, good health and future prospering of our wonderful treasure. Some of our first major decisions involve cloth vs. disposables; room décor; which cute little outfit to wear, and which picture gets framed for the wall. But as our treasure grows, so does the weight of every decision we make. In other words, the struggle is real!!

Every day as a parent is uncharted territory, and our path is sometimes thorny. But our scripture reveals a comforting truth to us, not only is He caring for our children, but our Heavenly Father (The Shepherd) is helping US as parents! He has not left us to fend for ourselves. When you don’t know what to do, and you’ve no clue what decision to make, just “ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it [wisdom] will be given to you (James 1:5). If God isn’t going to blame you for not knowing all the answers, stop blaming yourself. Parenting isn’t about perfection. We are going to make mistakes, so go ahead and let yourself off the hook right now, and don’t be afraid to seek His guidance. He’s waiting to give it liberally!

When my children were born, I was so thankful that my mama was there to help me. I soaked up her wisdom and encouragement like a dry sponge dropped in a bucket of water. Spiritually, God is our parent; our Father!! He is there to do for me spiritually what my mom did for me in the natural, because I am His daughter! Dad, you are His son. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”(1 John 3:1)

Parents, we will not be discouraged. Our Father is helping us to parent our children the way He parents us. He loves us, guards and defends us, oversees, provides and guides us. We can *do* this parenting thing through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13), and has equipped us with everything we need for the task (Hebrews 13:21)!