The pastor was preaching from Psalm 23; The Load is our Good Shepherd. He explained that there were times shepherds would guide their flocks from destination to destination in search of water and good pastures for their sheep to graze. In between the destinations, there were often mountainous regions that were rocky and difficult to travel through. He said that if the sheep could talk, they would probably say something like, “Where is this guy taking us?” “Does he know what he is doing?” But eventually, they get to the water and see the difficult journey had a purpose. A good shepherd leads them safely to the destination and never leaves them unattended during the journey, keeping them under his watch and protection.
I have heard and read this Psalm many times since I became a Christian. This day, I saw how it applied to the way God chose to grow our family! Our eight-year journey of infertility was difficult and frustrating. It felt we were walking through mountainous and rocky terrain with no end in sight. We wanted to parent but seemingly could not. Counting days and watching the calendar month after month to maximize our chances of conceiving became mentally and emotionally exhausting. Medical interventions were invasive, stressful and unsuccessful.
While traveling through the valley, there were times we felt lost and alone. In despair, we stumbled. Our prayers for a child seemed to be unheard and unanswered. However, we knew in our hearts God was answering, “wait and be patient,” but it was not the answer we wanted to hear at the time. But God was our Good Shepherd. By His grace, we held fast that He had a plan and a purpose for our lives. He used his staff to pull us back into his fold gently, and we eventually arrived at our next destination.
I praise God every day that our green pasture was our first son Samuel, the most amazing gift we could ever receive!! Through the journey, God never left us. He was there with us, guiding us, protecting us, never allowing us to stray too far from His presence. The decision to adopt had always been there for our family. We needed the journey to see that this was our hearts’ choice and God’s plan. He always knew the three of us were to be united as a family.
Surely His goodness and love have continued to follow us. Now, what science and eight years of treatments could not do, God has done. To our surprise, our family is now getting ready to arrive at our next green pasture where we will soon be welcoming another son. As my husband said, “Our family is the best because it was put together and purposed by God.”
Psalm 23; The Lord is My Shepard