Never a dull moment with the Gates clan. I Need A Shepherd was written in the wee hours of Tuesday morning as Hannah sat in the ER of Albany Med., her dad was at district meetings and I was home alone trying to decide what to do. The last contact I had with Hannah was she would probably have surgery…that was 4AM.

By 9AM Tuesday morning two friends had encouraged and helped me decide as they wondered why I was still in Lafayette?’ An hour later I was on the road just as Hannah was moved out of recovery to a room.

This afternoon I see signs of the old Hannah peeking through the covers while she rests on the couch. To say the least it was an adventure for me as I navigated downtown Albany with her manual transmission car, at one point saying out loud, “Lord, help me find the the hospital” because I was lost..within seconds I was back to where I had started and five minutes later pulled into the parking garage. Coincidence? I think not. Most of you know I am a farm girl raised on a country gravel road that never involved big city driving.

I took God at His Word this week…ask anything in my Name, because those couple of days I not only needed a shepherd but a Chauffeur.

Jean Palmer is the winner of We All Married Idiots. 

It’s a dark and stormy night and I can’t sleep. I’m not afraid of the dark or the storm passing through but one of my babies is in the ER in Albany in pain and I can’t be with her. God-willing by the time you all wake up and read this post, the pain will have subsided and Hannah will be resting comfortably…doesn’t help that my sweet hubby is out of town for a few days, so Lauren and I are holding down the fort.

And I thought I had the ‘these kids are yours Lord’ mantra down pat, praying for them everyday, talking and texting throughout the week, in my mind’s eye laying them at the foot of the cross…

…then a phone call comes and mother worry sets in. So I turn on my music to Fernando Ortega and listen to him sing about my Good Shepherd. I need a Shepherd, especially in the dark.

My dreams of being a wife and mother have come to pass because of my Shepherd leading me in green pastures, adding blessing upon blessing everyday. But I’m not always a good follower, wanting to control the lives of all those around me rather than letting the Shepherd take the lead and let me rest.

As a mother of toddlers, teens and young adults I tried to control more than pray. I want/wanted to lead them in the path they should go rather than allowing God to work in their lives and follow His Good plan…I’m their mother, don’t I now better? Along the way God has used four beautiful children and their father as instruments of grace in MY life to turn me to HIM and let HIM do the shepherding in their lives. Mom and Holy Spirit are not synonymous, if you know what I mean.

So, as I wait into the night for a phone call from the capital of New York, may our Great God be your Shepherd, your peace and may we all allow the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of those we love so much.

God is great and God is good.