Leading means mothering

[Ambassador_of_Hope]

Day 9
Midwives and Nurses

Leading means mothering

“As we work among our flocks, do we find ourselves overlooking the physically young or giving special attention to them? Are abandoned children and relational orphans forgotten and looked after? Can we see past physical age and recognize adults who are developmentally delayed “infants” craving milk? We need to be both strategic and gentle in our service. Casualties come to some that are “driven hard,” especially in the name of ministry. Caring shepherds are also attentive to their ewes. Are single parents and overburdened caregivers supported with competence and compassion? We sometimes forget that mothers need to be mothered. Nurturers need to be nurtured. Life-givers need life poured into them.”

A number of years ago, a dear friend of mine called me with a specific request regarding his high school aged son. He said, “If you would please hire my son, I will pay his wages. He needs a good environment to help pull him out of the low spot of his life.” I said “okay, but after one month, you will not need to pay his wages because he will be adding value. He came, he was taught, lead, encouraged and then he flourished. He belonged to our work family and contributed to our administrative team. For the first time, confidence in himself surfaced. He went on to become an ER nurse, “cutting his teeth” on gun shot wounds in a violent city and then served as a healthcare worker on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. His success was a product of being mothered to health many years earlier.

Empathy was modeled for me by the mothers in my life, my grandmother “Gam,” Mom and my mother in law, Memaw. Each one had a unique eye for the downcast, neglected, overlooked and vulnerable. Watching them trained my eye and listening to the Spirit breeds the courage and boldness to act. In my remaining time, I would like to assume two postures; 1) to be still and let the children come and 2) go into the camp of lepers. Lord help me to believe in the impossible and exercise faith at each dead end. Fear not; you are never alone, never too weak and there is always a path.

Dave Dassoulas
dave@hopebuilders.com