Kids Make It Simple

​Children too are a gift from the Lord…Psalm 127:3

I’m often asked how I like my first months of retirement and the truth is, I have loved all the extra time I’ve gotten to spend with grandkids and time spent helping family.  I had the opportunity and the time to write a book.  I do enjoy the extra prayer time and the time with my handsome groom, but I miss my teacher friends and I miss the kids for sure.  I was cleaning out a file folder and came across some wise words written by some fifth graders a few years back and have been saving them for a Lenten post.  These were snippets from Stations of the Cross Reflections written by some very beautiful and prayerful hearted eleven-year-olds.  I hope they give you cause to ponder and pray.
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*Jesus, they stripped your garment from you, and you didn’t complain, help me realize I need to be stripped of bad habits without complaining. Jesus, help me strip from evil things and put on clothes of kindness and clothes of love.

*Jesus, when they rolled that stone in front of the tomb it separated you from the people who loved you. Help me realize my sin is just like that big stone; it separates me from you and the more I sin the heavier that stone becomes making it harder to roll away.

*Jesus, when Simon helped you, he showed us how to be unselfish, he showed us how to be a friend even to a stranger.  Help me love others even when it’s hard or I don’t want to.

*When the women of Jerusalem came to meet you, they weren’t afraid; I would have been. I would have worried about those mean soldiers and their whips, but you weren’t.  This station shows me I shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for Jesus and defend him.  It also makes me think that I should be a friend to others and accept friendship when somebody shows it to me.

*Jesus, I could never do what you did.  I don’t think I’m supposed to because you did it for me and I thank you for that.  I can carry my own cross though; I can fold the towels when my mom asks me and not pretend, I don’t hear her ask.  Jesus, you give us little crosses to carry and every time I do that, I make it easier for the person who follows me just like you made it easier to follow you because you did the hard stuff.

*I can understand why you fell Jesus.  You were so tired, and the cross was so heavy but you got up and kept going.  Help me get up when I fall, help me realize things like being ignored or getting blamed for something I didn’t do are so tiny compared to what you did for me.  Help me be stronger and not make such a big deal out of little things.

As I read their reflections, I was inspired to be a better Disciple of Jesus.  Their words were so honest and to the point they left me changed.  As adults we tend to complicate things, so maybe this Lent these simple words can inspired us to pick up our cross.

A Seed To Plant: Strip yourself of devices and screens and noise this week and spend some prayerful time reflecting on the Passion Narrative from the Gospel…walk with Jesus this week in a quiet powerful way.

Blessings on your day