To the New Mama

To the New Mama

Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹ He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young”

Isaiah 40:9-11 ESV

We read the passage above in Sunday school yesterday, and that last verse transported me back to a time when my firstborn was a newborn and I was learning how to be a mom. I have tender memories of those moments now, but the learning curve of motherhood was a steep mountain to climb, and those first few cold, wintry nights with a newborn seemed interminable to me.

It was during that time that I truly understood the phrase “to drag oneself out of bed.” I would hear my baby crying in the wee hours of the morning, and it took all the strength and sheer determination I could muster to drag myself out of bed. Throughout the first month or so with little Liam, I prayed for God to make each day a little easier for me. Then, in the months to follow, I begged Him to cause Liam to sleep through the night so that I could get some much-needed sleep!

I hope I’m not painting too bleak of a picture here—especially for the women who have yet to become moms. I loved my baby boy so deeply. He was so cute and sweet and precious, and he would continue to win my heart over and over again in the months to come as he learned how to smile and then started to coo and then crawl and walk and everything in between. Nonetheless, I quickly learned that motherhood, especially at this stage, was exhausting, and I sure didn’t have the energy I thought I should for it!

It was somewhere around the time that Liam was born that I stumbled upon the last verse mentioned above, and in my sleep-deprived, foggy brain, I was immensely encouraged that God would gently lead those with young. The truth is, I needed that leading so much. I felt vulnerable and completely incapable of making simple decisions on my own. So, to know that God was tenderly leading me and looking out for my young family and me brought a lot of comfort to my heart back then. I wasn’t alone in this new journey of motherhood. God’s eyes were upon me, gently guiding me and protecting my family and me along the way.

When I think back to when I first became a mom, it encourages me to share this verse with any woman who may be experiencing the same things as I did. As lonely as motherhood might seem (especially in those initial days), God has not abandoned us in it. As huge of a responsibility that it is, we can cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Sleep my not come for a good while in those early days (It sure didn’t for me with my youngest more recently!), and we may suffer the effects that exhaustion often brings. Still, God’s outpouring of love and compassion will still be there. His eyes will still be upon us in each joy and sorrow. And He will tenderly guide us like a good and loving shepherd, because He is the one who gave His own life for His sheep.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

John 10:11 ESV