He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. - Isaiah 40:11
As a dancer, I have occasionally been in circumstances where I am made to feel like royalty. I am clothed in a tutu with a tiara and have a kingdom of my own onstage. It’s magical. A lot of this majesty seemed to dissipate about twenty one months ago.
When I became a mom, I felt less like a queen and more like a shepherd. With my newborn in tow with me at the ballet studio I found myself running into the back costume room in between rehearsals to nurse Lucy, hoping that a full tummy would get her through a few more hours at the studio. There were long nights spent holding her while she was sick or teething. It didn’t matter how much I had to work the next day. As a mama it was my most pressing job. What mattered was being with her. It was most important during these times that I put aside my other jobs to be a mom and care for this small human that couldn’t care for herself.
Having this relationship with Lucy has given me a better understanding of the relationship God has with us. From the verses that go both before and after verse 11 we are shown how mighty and powerful God is. Isaiah 40:10 states, “See the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him…” Yet in verse 11 we are reminded that God would rather put that all aside to be with the least of us during our lowest moments. He holds us close to care for us and keep us on the right path.
You don’t have to have a child to relate to this. Teachers, leaders and anyone who has been a caregiver can relate to lowering themselves down to be on another person’s level. While it is easy to think of God as being the omnipotent yet distant ruler of the universe, I imagine it would be more helpful to remember that He sent His son to earth to see the world through our eyes. Jesus walked with us and felt what it was like to be human in every way. We have seen how God has taken off his crown and lowered Himself to help us.
Let us be willing to do the same to help others. Amen.
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