Many parents fret about which ministry they should select at their church or synagogue. Volunteer at a food bank, drive elderly people to doctors’ appointments, deliver meals to shut-ins? These are all crucial tasks, but parents would do well to remember they already have a special calling — which is caring for their children.
After all, aren’t children the neediest among us — coming into the world completely helpless, dependent and weak? Don’t they perfectly fit the bill Jesus mentioned when he urged his disciples to care for “the least of these”?
The everyday parent does so many jobs each day, it’s nearly impossible to track them. A child devours a breakfast of hot oatmeal with fresh fruit, then dons freshly laundered clothing before heading to school with a well-stocked lunchbox. And, yes, the parents made all this happen.
The child returns home with a tough assignment, and mom or dad gives up the evening’s activities to untangle the complexities of geometry and simplify the subtleties of grammar.
A dedicated parent spends hours shopping for groceries, preparing the veggies and roast for supper and fixing a delectable dessert the children really like. After supper, this same person will attend a PTA meeting, then bake cupcakes for a classroom party the next day.
Don’t forget drying tears when Junior falls off a bike, going to soccer practice — and helping little ones with bedtime prayers.
Please don’t misunderstand me. Of course, parents should pitch in at church if they have extra time — but I would say God has already given them a tailor-made ministry.
My friend has a teenage son with Down syndrome, plus a girl, 7, and this remarkable mom, whose husband is often away on business, rises at dawn and spends the day home-schooling, making meals from scratch — and wrestling with a heap of laundry that miraculously keeps doubling in size.
When we visit her, I am always amazed at how little sleep my friend survives on, and how few hours — as in none — she has for herself. Frankly, I’d be hesitant to ask about her church ministries for fear that she would collapse in hysterical laughter.
Like so many faith-filled people, this lady sees her family as her primary calling and her chores as a way to love and serve God. She is well aware that Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes a child in my name, welcomes me.”
Parents can be living testimonies to Christ’s promise that we discover God in surprising places — in the hungry, the thirsty and the needy. And, really, who is thirstier, hungrier and more in need of love than a child?
A mother standing ready with after-school snacks, a cold glass of milk — and a hug — is a foretaste of that moment when the child will meet God face to face. A father forgiving a contrite child reflects God’s mercy, which is unending.
As Mother Teresa put it, “The way you help heal the world is you start with your own family.” All I can add to that is “Amen!”
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