Thanks for mom and God

You don't want a babysitter, but your mom called one anyway. "You can't stay home alone!" she tells you. You feel so angry! "I can't wait 'til I grow up!" you yell. "I can take care of myself!"

Jesus would understand how you feel -- and how your mom feels. He had lots of followers that He watched over and taught about God. When it was time for Him to go back to heaven, He knew they could take care of themselves -- but like your mother, He felt a little scared to leave them alone!

In this week's Gospel (John 17:11-19), Jesus prays to God the Father about it.

"I'm coming to you, Father," Jesus prayed. "When I was with these people, I protected them in your name and taught them about you. But now I'm coming back to you. You don't have to take these people out of the world, but please keep them safe from evil."

When you argue with your mother about whether you need a babysitter, both of you might feel a little sad. You want your mom to see you're growing up and don't need someone to watch you, and she wants you to remember that even grownups need watching sometimes.

That's how Jesus felt. He was ready to let His followers "grow up" a little and leave them to go back to heaven, but He also wanted God the Father to watch over and help them. The disciples had learned a lot from Jesus, but everyone needs God's help to be good!

Someday, your mother will let you stay home alone. But no matter how grown up you get, she'll never stop praying to God to keep you safe. Jesus prayed, too, because He knew that people do bad things to others sometimes.

Jesus didn't want His Father to take everyone to heaven, but He hoped God would help them take care of each other so they'd be safe while they were here. When your mom calls a babysitter for you, she just wants you to be safe, too. Moms -- and God -- don't forget that you're growing up!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me remember I'm growing up, even if I'm not home alone -- and thank you for my mom! Amen. Happy Mother's Day to your mom!

(05-08-97) [[In-content Ad]]