Leading and Serving

" But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43-45

Someone was asking me recently about what I thought was my greatest accomplishment. I barely hesitated in explaining that my greatest accomplishment is not really an accomplishment but a gift from Gog which I treasure and that is being a Mom.Our daughters are grown and they still teach me more theology and about God's love than just about anyone or anything. My family has provided me with an understanding of joyous servant hood, where love is the motivation for caring for others rather than some false sense of humility. Their love has never failed to make me feel like the most blessed person in the world. Despite the struggles and challenges of parenthood, it is an honor to be their Mom.

The bickering disciples want to know who comes first in the kingdom of God. Their arguments probably compared who had been longest with Jesus, who had done or given up the most, who deserved it more. Children fight this way all of the time. We are invited to love one another like God loves us, like a parent who always puts the other first. The love of God is tender and caring, always wanting the best for us, always working to shelter us and provide for us. God is not worried about who is the best and most perfect, God cares only how we love each other.

So today, I want to love God and my neighbor as a grown up. Not seeking to be honored by that love but seeking to offer more of myself. Offering more, not because it is my duty but because it is my desire as a parent who has been blessed more than I can say. May god give us all the grace to serve those around us, to love with maturity and humility, so that we might know a bit of the love of God in our lives.