COULD YOU BE A HERO?

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me notice the ways I can be brave and heroic in everyday life, and go for it! Amen.

“I am the good shepherd,” Jesus said. “A good shepherd will give up his life to save his sheep. A paid worker will let a wolf eat the sheep, because he doesn’t own them. But I know my sheep and they know me, and I’ll die for them. All people will hear my voice and become like one flock of sheep with one shepherd.”

Could you be a hero? Most kids would say yes. You can picture yourself saving people in an emergency or rescuing a hurt dog. But you don’t really know how much courage you have until you’re in a situation where you have to be brave!

One of the few people who could say right from the start that He was brave was Jesus. In this week’s Gospel (John 10:11-18), He talks about dying for us, like a good shepherd would die fighting off a wolf who tried to attack his sheep.

Jesus could say He would die for us because He knew He was going to. The reason He came into the world as a person was to teach everyone He could about God, get them to spread the word and then give up His life to show how much God loves everyone.

No one else can really say how brave they are until they’re faced with something to be brave about. But remember, there are different kinds of bravery. You might hear about a “hero” kid who called 911 about a sick parent, or a kid who helps when her mom has a baby. You don’t hear as often about the kids who quietly babysit siblings, who bring a drink when someone’s sick or who defend someone being bullied.

A good shepherd like Jesus will give up His life for us, His “flock of sheep.” Most kids aren’t asked to be quite that much of a hero — but there are many other ways to be brave and heroic. Look for the ways you can be a hero every day, and you’ll find them!