Happy Monday, friends! I want to welcome those of you who are receiving my newsletter for the first or the second time. Thank you for giving me access to your inbox. I have been seeking to write some reflections on every weekday, when possible, and have received some lovely, heartfelt feedback that you enjoy the encouragement. Please peruse the collection of writings that are on the site since Lent began, and let me know which essays speak to your heart the most.
I told you on Friday about the Big Three: Read, Move, Chores. This mantra is giving my children and I focus and health, especially the teens. Knowing that they are beginning their mornings with readings and runs, cleaning dishes and rooms, is a sigh of relief. This weekend I began processing the “ending” of this school year, and realized I am carrying anxiety about my kids’ time management this summer. In stress, it’s easy to begin trying to control everything, and I know that isn’t truly loving or helpful. There is a line between control and leadership, and we as mothers can feel that difference in our soul. One is born of fear, and the other of love. We open our hands every morning, releasing our children into God’s hands, and then ask for the ability to lead and shepherd them well.
That’s going to be my focus this summer. Shepherding. Some dear friends gave me a vintage copy of A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller (the cover I linked to is the version my mother had when I was growing up!), and I am reading a chapter a day. Psalm 23 is a beloved passage to me, one I return to when I feel the old leanings towards religious fear, perfectionism, and legalism. I remind myself who Jesus actually is. Pondering Christ as Shepherd has been a pathway of healing for me over the past 15 years, and I return to this imagery when I am in a vulnerable season.
I am also reading the book of Nehemiah about rebuilding the walls. For the past several years, my focus for the month of June has been “rebuilding the foundation”. I evaluate my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual life, and make sure that I am invested in the right priorities and responsibilities. It’s important in between school years for me to look my life in the eye and discern whether my foundation is strong or not. We as believers need to humble ourselves and repent of ways in which we might be falling for “lesser loves”. I can only shepherd my children well to the extent that I am choosing to be led by Christ, following Him into His ways. Am I following the ways of online influencers or of Christ? Focused on trends, books, politics, platforms, home education models, wellness or primarily the person of Jesus? It’s easy to get off track.
When the school year comes to an end, or you find yourself in a quieter season, take some time to evaluate. We can trust Jesus the Shepherd to be gentle with our souls, remembering that His correction is loving, life-giving, and restorative. Ask for His loving attention in real and acute ways. Sit with Him. His presence is dear. Consider choosing a theme to focus on for June or July. Feel free to join me in the focus of shepherding and rebuilding. Walking into these themes together gives us strength and courage for the months to come!
I never quite know what I am going to write about when I sit down to my laptop. I pray and begin to write. Thank you for reading, and I want you to know today that you are deeply loved. I often write what I myself need to hear. I am deeply loved. I needed that to hear that too.
Aimee
That's interesting because I moved that book into my summer reading folder on my Kindle. If you feel led, maybe you could share some questions/journal prompts that help you when checking your foundations. I know you've shared some summer questions in the past that were helpful for me. Thanks for the time and thought you put into this! It truly is a blessing to me!
I totally get the anxiety about the kids free time in the summer. It seems my 9 yr old would be continually on "electronics" {video games, tv, etc} and it seems difficult to monitor. As they get older, I've always told mine that my goal is to give them more and more freedom as I see they can handle it, but some are more self-motivated than others. I, too, appreciate your posts and look forward to them. They all seem timely. Right now, as you are posting about how you are framing your summer, I'm realizing the need for all of these things too, and I'm getting ideas from you! Keep up the wonderful writing!