The Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 23 (KJV)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

I am noticing after a few weeks of this project that the Psalm readings (four each day, two morning and two evening) are repetitive, which I suppose makes sense given there’s only 150 Psalms for a 366-day lectionary. So perhaps one of these days I’m going to have to buckle down and write about something from Exodus or a Gospel teaching of Jesus that isn’t really connected to parenting at all. But for today, I will fall back on the best-known Psalm, and specifically its translation in the King James Version, which carries with it the poetic tone that sets it apart simply as a piece of great writing, let alone the way it speaks about faith.

As with Friday’s late post, I don’t have too much to add here. I just find myself reading the words over and again, often times finding different lines that speak to me for various reasons. Sometimes it’s a wordsmith’s awe at the phrase, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” other times all my eyes can read is “my cup runneth over.”

Today, I feel I have been led beside the still waters. It is a good place to be. Life is not perfect, and there are many things I hope to improve, either through my own work or as a function of the boys growing and changing or simply seeking God’s will in how our future should proceed. But for now, I want to take pleasure in the moment and accept the present as being exactly where I’m supposed to be.

A prayer for May 5:

Lord, you are the Good Shepherd. You can restore our souls and lead us in the paths of righteousness if we seek for and listen to your guidance. I pray that you continue to speak to me, even when I am too stubborn to listen. Help me teach my children how to listen for your voice and to bring to you in prayer and concerns that may weigh heavily on their hearts. May goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life. Amen.