Monday, January 6, 2003
Monday, January 6, 2003
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed
that I came from God.
No matter what kind of hardships Jesus faced he knew God loved him. God and Jesus love
you
too!
(John 16.27
NRSV)
Neil Kurshan tells a gripping story about a medical student who went to a counselor about
whether she should complete medical school or drop out to raise a family. The counselor
suggested that she could do both with a little outside help. The student explained that she had
vowed never to entrust her children to a housekeeper. The counselor asked why, and the
young
woman explained that when she was a young child, her wealthy parents would vacation in
Europe each summer and leave her with a nanny. One spring when the girl was eleven the
housekeeper suddenly quit. The parents were upset that their vacation was jeopardized, but a
few days before their intended departure they found a replacement. When the daughter
noticed
her mother wrapping up all the family silverware and jewels, she asked her why, since it had
never been done before. Her mother explained that she could not trust the new maid with the
family valuables. That insensitive remark stabbed the little girl in the heart. Was she not a
"family
valuable" of more worth than knives and forks?! She never forgot the incident, and as she
grew
up she promised herself that she would bring up her own children.
Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me. Help me to love those you have sent my way. Amen.
