Faith in Parenting

Luke 2:15-20

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Reflections:

When has your life gone exactly according to your plan? Can we even name one occasion, one family vacation, even one holiday gathering that went off without a hitch? It’s hard to come up with, isn’t it?

Fortunately, we’ve learned to be flexible and accommodate changes in our routines and plans. In fact, I think we almost expect something to go wrong. After all, we’ve become so accustomed to not having our expectations met, that when something goes smoothly, it’s surprising.

When I look at this passage, it occurs to me that perhaps the shepherds felt like that, too, to some extent. Why else would Luke point out that the shepherds praised God for all that they had seen and heard, and specifically mention that the events took place exactly as they’d been told they would?

It’s interesting. And it also reminds me that there’s another plan that won’t go awry, that you - like the shepherds - can share with others. It’s the story of how God is drawing you to Him, calling you to follow with all of your heart, mind, and soul. Do you sense it?

There are many names for Jesus in the Bible, and one of them is The Good Shepherd. That’s because He takes care of his sheep. How do we know if we’re one of His sheep? Well, in John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Do we listen for Him? And do we respond to his voice?  Do our actions change as a result of knowing him?

Let’s think on that this season, for He is still calling, leading, and caring for us, just as a shepherd cares for his flock. The question is: How will we respond?

Lord, help us to hear your voice and take even just one step in the direction of following you with our whole hearts. We know you are there, gently and loving calling to us. Thank you for never giving up or turning away from your children. Amen.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 at 7:39 pm and is filed under listening, scripture, prayer, faith. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.