Recently, I went for a midday run in a small, scenic park with a mile-long, paved path that circles a fishing pond. It is a peaceful setting. People of all ages and stages in life and health conditions come for exercise, picnics, rest, fishing, and connecting.
Like a café, it is the kind of place where certain people who become “regulars” will greet you and readily cheer you on as you doggedly make your laps around the pond. They call out encouraging words like, “You are doing great!” It feels like a safe place.
Apparently, human creatures are not the only ones who feel safe there. I chuckled as I ran past baby goslings feeding on the grass by the path. Mama and papa goose were right beside them. The goose “family” paid no attention to us humans.
When I jogged by, the geese were so calm they did not even rush to protect their babies. How did they know that they were so perfectly safe in this park? How did they know enough to feel protected?
It made me think again of the book I am writing for parents based on the Twenty-Third Psalm in the Scriptures (to be published in the spring of 2011). You may know it as the “Lord is my Shepherd” psalm (song, poem). It is often used to comfort people in distress or grief, for those times when our souls need soothing and hearts need hope. But this psalm offers more.
Through the liberal use of metaphor, this ancient song can help us discover deeper meanings for our parenting journey. For example, we learn that we humans are sheep who both need and have a shepherd. It declares that we are cared for, guided, and even delighted in, by our soul’s Shepherd (God, Source).
It also helps us see clearly how we as parents are a lot like shepherds for our children (sheep). Its images are earthy, easy to remember and to meditate on while we work. This Psalm is filled with scenes from mother nature’s photo album. Even if we do not live in a place surrounded by nature, our imaginations can take us there.
Like sheep, we need to feel safe both physically and emotionally in order to live, learn, and play with a profound sense of well-being. In the months ahead, we will be learning its hidden treasures as a blueprint for modern parenting (shepherding).
I believe we can all use some ancient wisdom in our modern world; it keeps us in balance.