Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mark 10:14)
“Dad, can I have a glass of water?” “Mom, can you read me a story?”
Little kids love to ask for us to do things for them, don’t they?
Especially when it’s time for bed! Yet as they mature, they begin to
come to terms with the call to become more and more self-sufficient and
independent. “I want to do it myself!” is a common toddler anthem—even
when they clearly can’t.
As parents, we like to encourage our children and applaud them when
we see them take on new challenges, but we also try to maintain some
limits. And then there are the times when we see them struggling and
wish they would have come to us for help instead—if only to ask for
advice. These are the situations that can touch our hearts the most.
When it comes to us as adults, independence is often our default
approach to life. While it has its strong points, it can also have its
weaknesses. For instance, we might feel as if we need to shoulder all of
our burdens on our own. Maybe we think that our problems are too small
for Jesus—or that they’re too big, and we’re not worthy of a
corresponding miracle.
Today’s Gospel reading asks us to reflect on this independent
instinct. Jesus is telling us that we should always feel free to ask him
for help, just like little children. He is always ready to welcome us
with open arms and give us wisdom and guidance, his healing and
strength.
Today, take some time to ponder whether there are things that you may
not have thought to take to Jesus. They may be little struggles in your
life, medium-sized patterns of sin, or major challenges that are
casting a cloud over your heart. Think about how eager Jesus is to help
you, how approachable he is, and how simple it can be to lean on him.
Don’t be too proud (or ashamed) to admit that you need his guidance and
comfort. He already knows it anyway!
“Jesus, there is so much you want to offer me. Help me bring my
big and little challenges to you. Teach me how to become as dependent as
a little child.”
from wau.org
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