I reach to pick up my newborn and he nuzzles his way under my neck. Instinctively he knows where his place of comfort is. He knows that underneath my neck, against my chest, and wrapped in my arms is his new home outside of the womb. This is where we both experience warmth, connection, and love.
As I admire God’s work through my baby, I think about the last time that I allowed myself to be wrapped in the Father’s arms like this.
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. (Psalm 23:1-2)
I also long for this type of intimacy in my spiritual life. Caring for the needs of my husband, children, and household is a gift that I don’t take lightly. At the same time, I realize that it can become all-consuming when I don’t allow myself to be embraced in the Shepherd’s arms.
One of the things I get asked a lot during my postpartum time is, “How are you?” Although this can be a loaded question—not just for a postpartum mom, but for all women—the answer for me in this season is, “In need of rest.” Not just physical rest, as in sleep, but a deeper rest, as in allowing myself to sit down and enjoy a meal instead of eating as I cook it, rest from preemptively thinking about what’s coming up the pipeline, rest from the standards and expectations I hold myself accountable for so that I may receive more joy and life in Christ.
Receive His Tender Care
Everything we need is in the arms of the Shepherd Himself. There isn’t anything more that we need outside of His tender embrace. When we find ourselves overwhelmed by daily life, we can approach the good Shepherd in our vulnerability and ask Him to hold us. The good Shepherd desires that I take the same approach as my newborn, who trusts that I will care for all his needs.
When we consider the tenderness a shepherd takes with his flock to ensure their safety and wellbeing, we can see that Jesus leads us in that same way. Maybe it’s hard for us to imagine being cared for like sheep, because we have been in an ongoing cycle of going through the motions of following Him in word but not in action. We can delude ourselves into thinking we know how to follow Jesus well when, in reality, we are pretending to follow and are grasping to take the reins to lead.
Follow
Sometimes I find myself believing there are greener pastures than the one to which I have been led. Perhaps if I was to graze in a different field altogether my life would be easier, look more successful, or be more exciting. It’s tempting to think that what we consider ideal is better for us than the Father’s plan for us.
This year’s Blessed is She Advent devotional, Found, will unpack for us the meaning of Jesus as the Good Shepherd in our lives. All of us have a deep desire to be sought after and cared for and Jesus wants to reveal that to us. In our busyness of living in the world, we are all in need of being found.
Advent offers us a clean slate to begin again as we begin a new liturgical year. We can access what our prayer life needs through this theme of being found.
This journey of faith is one we can never walk alone. If you are like me and need the extra layer of accountability and encouragement, the BIS community has several ways to keep you focused on the Good Shepherd this Advent season.
- After you purchase the Advent devotional you will receive an email link to the Found channel in the BIS app. Here you will be able to connect with other women, receive prayer prompts, playlists, and other ways to supplement your Advent prayer practices.
- Attend the Advent kickoff to create space for His coming. Join the BIS community live on the app on December 2, 2023, at 12 PM EST for a time of prayer, encouragement, and community. An RSVP link will be in your post-purchase email.
- Beth and Jenna will be on the Blessed is She podcast every Wednesday during Advent to share reflections on walking with the Good Shepherd.
- If you are looking for in-person community in your area you can find a regional group near you, connect with a virtual group on the BIS app, or start your own.
Journey
The Advent devotional has a built-in road map that makes it easy to follow along and removes the doubt of how to make the most out of the journal.
Sundays / Narration on the week’s theme
Mondays / Old Testament Scripture and specific lectio divina prompts
Tuesdays / Story (by one of our amazing writers), along with questions
Wednesdays / New Testament Scripture and specific lectio divina prompts
Thursdays / Story and questions
Fridays / Sacred mosaic art and specific visio divina prompts
Saturdays / Rest and receive
It may seem overwhelming to look at the daily prayer practices all at once, but it's simply a recommendation as you are welcome to use the journal in whatever way works best for you and your current season of life. The daily prayer practices aren’t meant to be checkboxes, but invitations to grow deeper in prayer.
Find Shelter in Him
We are all tempted to get lost in hot cocoa bombs, Christmas carols, twinkling lights, sugar cookie decorating, ugly Christmas sweaters, white elephant parties, and gift giving. However, for us as Catholics and Christians this isn’t the sole focus of what makes it “the most wonderful time of the year.” For us it's waiting for the tiny babe to arrive in the manger and creating space in our hearts to encounter Him there. This season of Advent, if we allow it, can be transformative for us. We can find the shelter we have been searching for in our Good Shepherd. Only He can lead us to greener pastures, living water, and provide what we need to live a life of abundance in Him.
Come away with us this Advent season and be Found in the Good Shepherd’s arms.
HIS WORD CHANGES LIVES
God is speaking to you through His Word. In this personal study, you will learn to hear God's voice by reading slowly and praying deeply.
Mytae Carrasco Wallace is Las Vegas born and raised and holds a Masters in Public Administration. She and her husband have the privilege of leading Pre-Cana retreats for their home parish. On the daily you can find her raising her three kiddos, choreographing dance moves to entertain her children, and doing her own version of carpool karaoke. She was a contributing author to All She Had. Find out more about her here. Mytae es creada y nacida en Las Vegas, NV. Tiene su Maestría en Administración Pública. Ella y su esposo tienen el privilegio de dirigir los retiros de Pre-Cana para su parroquia. Diariamente puedes encontrarla criando a sus tres hijos, coreografiando movimientos de baile para entretener a sus hijos y cantando su propia versión de karaoke en el carro. Fue autora contribuyente de All She Had. Conozca la mejor aquí..
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