Special needs parents already live with a lot of stress and anxiety. But when you add in the extra uncertainty that comes with COVID-19 and what’s going on with back-to-school come the fall, well, it’s possible as parents to go into anxiety overload.
There’s a verse in Isaiah that I think is very encouraging for all parents during this time of uncertainty regarding your child(ren) and our future.
“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
He tends His flock like a shepherd
I’m sure we’re all familiar with Psalm 23, “The Lord is our Shepherd,” as well as in John 10, when Jesus declares Himself the Good Shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep. Both are an encouraging metaphor for just how much God loves and provides for each of us.
Sheep are not very smart animals. They can’t defend themselves. They can’t find their own food or water. They won’t rest when they need to. And flies and other bugs will bother their eyes, ears and nostrils so much that the sheep will bash their heads against rocks and trees to find relief—hence the reason the shepherd anoints the sheep’s head with oil. It may not sound attractive to say that we are sheep, but when we’re overwhelmed with anxiety, we are definitely just like those sheep and in need of a Shepherd who can offer us the guidance, comfort, provision, and rest we desperately need.
If we just rest in the fact that we have a Good Shepherd, who loves us so very much that He would die for us and will provide us with everything we need, that kind of perfect love drives out all fear.
He gathers the lambs in His arms
We’re familiar with the idea of the Lord as our Shepherd, and we know that Jesus loves little children and wanted them to come to Him (Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14, and Luke 18:16). So the image of God holding the little lambs close is special and comforting.
But a thought that once hit me about this verse is that the shepherd is only able to hold a lamb close if the mother will let the shepherd do that. If the mother trusts the shepherd, she knows the safest place for her child to be is in their shepherd’s arms. Clinging to that truth, and entrusting our children’s health, safety, and future to the One who already knows what the future holds will provide us with mental and spiritual rest, knowing our children are safe in His arms, the one who loves our children even more than we do.
He carries them close to His heart
Source: Special Needs Parenting- Key Ministry
