A Vision to Live By

God gives each of us a vision to live by in Psalm 23. The Lord is our shepherd and we are His sheep. He promises that we shall not want because He will take care of us, restore us and help us. So we do not have to fear because He is with us. This concept is something He wants us to hold onto. We are his, a part of His family but when we wonder off we lose sight of this image and end up hurting ourselves.

A family is also meant to have a vision. It is this picture that keeps them together through the thick and thin of life. Losing sight of this causes members to lose the happiness and close feelings that they should always have. So many things get in the way of this vision in families and the result is sorrow, sadness, isolation and hurt.

Parenting is like a marathon race. In the exhaustion, turmoil and difficulties of parenting sometimes we lose sight of this imagery. We need to wake up each day and see the vision of God as our shepherd and the image God has given us of our family so we can remember what it means to be a member. God wants all of us to feel the peace and contentment that come from this meaning of family. May we hold the torch high and not lose sight of it in the stress and craziness of life because when we do we lose the perspective of why we should obey God and why we should be respectful and loving and other-centered people. This view will change and radically transform our behaviors because we want to feel the joy and happiness God envisioned for us in His imagry of the shepherd. We want this peace, this serenity, this joy and happiness in our homes. It is only possible when we focus on God and His image of family. May we not lose sight of this vision!