Daily Gospel Reflection for March 1, 2014

Today's Gospel: Mark 10:13-16

I so relate with people bringing their children to Jesus for him to touch. How many times have I just been DONE with the little people in my life, ready to hand them over to...well, to anyone who would take them? How often have I been plagued by concern about their health, their eternal souls, their sanity? How often have I just wanted to share their wonder and awesomeness with someone who loves them as much as I do?

Today's Gospel brings to mind one of the scariest experiences in my life as a parent. We were packing up for a cross-country trip for a tragic family funeral when we heard groans and strange noises from our then-five-year-old's room.

It seemed like she was having a stroke. At age five.

The emergency response folks were great, the roads were bad, and the drive to a friend's house to drop off the toddler was a blur. My husband rode in the ambulance with her and I still have the picture of her on my phone, nodes on her head, a weak smile on her face.

On the drive to the hospital, alone in my car, I couldn't even cry. And it was then that I had an experience of a dear friend bringing me to Jesus. Over the phone, she comforted me in one of the best ways anyone ever has, by begging Mary's intercession.

Waiting at the hospital for us was our parish priest, who's also a dear friend of our family. He beat the ambulance and he beat me.

Jesus was waiting for me. The image of bringing my children to Jesus has never been the same. It's a heart-wrenching reminder that, really, they're not my children. So why wouldn't I take them to Jesus?

Ponder:

How can you offer your family, including your children if you have them, to Jesus?

Pray:

Dear Lord, you love them more than I do. Help me to have the grace to give you my loved ones and trust that you have their best interests at heart even more than I do. Amen.

Copyright 2014 Sarah Reinhard