The Lord Is Our Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭1–6‬ ESV)

Going back to Church as a family for the first time since the death of Mercy was nice. Karie was nervous and anxious, but seemed to have a sweet calm about her. She was strong, yet huggable. She had asked me beforehand if I would not leave her side. By the time we left, me and the kids were in the van ready and buckled for home, and still Karie sat with some friends and talked. It was good to have gone yesterday. She may have to go through the same thing next week because it seemed like half the people were missing. Maybe sickness swept through the streets of Hinckley, or maybe they were preparing for afternoon Super Bowl parties (doubt it, but maybe).

My mind seems clearer this morning than last Friday. I am changing out a rather large heat exchanger in a boiler at a hospital in a few hours. Hopefully I am able to remain alert and attentive to the duties at hand. I have prayed for help and trust that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. This day will be long for my beloved. It will be her first full day home with the kids and no other help. Please keep her in your prayers as you are reminded.

The Lord is the shepherd of my family. He restores our soul. My dad is restoring a 55’ Chevy pickup. Normally when someone restores a vehicle, they restore it to original condition. The original condition of my soul is something I only get glimpses of at times. The original condition of my soul must look more like the Jesus I read about in my Bible then the man I see in the mirror; after all I was made in the image of God. I trust that while we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he will enable us to drink deeply from the waters of life that lie just ahead in the green pastures. He is restoring us into the image of his beloved Son Jesus where we might walk down the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.