Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A Gentle Shepherd

My goodness, was that retreat good!!! I am home now (we returned home Sunday evening) and would love to give you a good, hearty recap of the weekend. However, I am still chewing and chewing and chewing. Yes, it was that good! Nancy Campbell spoke on "Shepherding Your Flock" in reference to mothers. She made so many good, scriptural points. So very many! But the one, if I HAD to choose just one, that spoke to me loudest on first impression was that of being a gentle shepherd. She made the statement that a good shepherd does not drive his sheep but instead gently leads them. I understood completely what she was talking about. Sadly, I think I more often bulldoze my children rather than gently lead them. So many times she mentioned that we have the potential to reveal characteristics and attributes of God by the way we mother. God is not a bulldozer; He is a gentle shepherd and I want to reveal that part of God when I am relating to my children!
It was so wonderful to be with so many other mothers who are on the journey, as well. Mothers who are striving to grasp that motherhood really is a high calling; a world-changing ministry design by God. It was refreshing to dwell with like-minded ladies.
And so I return to laundry and math lessons and meal preparation and sibling negotiations and all the other details of this high calling. Praise the Lord that I get to do it with a renewed vision. If you ever have the opportunity to attend an Above Rubies retreat, I strongly encourage you to seize that opportunity!

3 comments:

Rebeca said...

I'll look forward to hearing more!
Rebeca

Sarah Joy said...

So awesome Ericka! I would love to go to one of those. Thanks for the word on being a gentle shepherd. I have been convicted and working on that very thing this morning. I haven't raised my voice once!

Anonymous said...

Yes! Nancy's teaching always strikes a cord with me too. I'm still processing it all, but the fellowship and prayers were sweet time. We were blessed this weekend to hear Vange-- WOW she is an exciting woman! Put Nancy on magadoses of steroids and you have Vange. It was esp. refreshing for my 12 y/o to see a roomful of "weird" women (like us) and to be able to fellowship with the girls. Psalmody even braided Hannah's hair-- very cute.