Have you ever read something that made you stop in your tracks and have to go back and read it again? That’s what happened when I read Isaiah 40:11. It says,

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

Even though the verse is talking about God and His relationship to us, it made me think of my role as a mom to Ayva. How am I leading her? Where am I leading her?  How am I tending to her needs?

Tend.

A small word to describe a big responsibility.

When you tend a garden, you spend hours and hours outside in the hot sun, digging up weeds, turning over soil and putting in work so that, in time, flowers will grow. You can’t miss a day of watering or you risk ruining your crop.

It’s like that with our children, too. We have to spend time in the dirt, giving them time and attention so that they can bloom. It gets to a point in parenting when it can feel like things are going pretty smoothly, and it’s tempting to let things run on autopilot. Don’t do it. Stay engaged and involved. Keep tending to their needs.

Our children are like sheep. They’ll go where they’re led. It’s up to us to gather guide them to a life filled with love and truth.

Tend to your children.