There are moments in our children's lives when, humanly speaking, it seems we have already done everything.
We have talked, advised, corrected, accompanied, sought help, cried and prayed. And yet, we don't see the change we are hoping for.
It may be a physical or mental illness, an emotional wound, an addiction, a spiritual crisis, wrong decisions, or simply a child who seems to have completely drifted away from God.
And then one of the most painful temptations for parents can appear: thinking that there is nothing left to do.
The Gospel presents us with a father who found himself facing exactly that kind of situation.
His name was Jairus.
His daughter was gravely ill, and he knew that humanly there was nothing more he could do. But there was still one thing he could do: seek out Jesus.
Saint Matthew records an extraordinary expression of his faith:
"My daughter has just died; but come, lay your hand on her, and she will live." Matthew 9,18
Jairus does not explain to Jesus how He should solve the problem. He offers no arguments. He has no guarantees.
He simply believes.
And Jesus sets out on the way with him.
Jesus also walks toward our children.
This scene holds an immense hope for those of us who are parents.
When we place our children before Jesus, we may not see the miracle right away, but we can be certain that Jesus has heard our prayer.
However, Jairus's road to the miracle was not simple.
As Jesus made His way to his house, a crowd surrounded Him. Along the way, a woman appeared who had been sick for twelve years. She touched Jesus' cloak and was healed.
Jesus stopped.
We can imagine what was happening in that father's heart.
His daughter was dying, and Jesus seemed to be delaying.
How many times have we felt something similar?
"Lord, I've been praying for my child for years."
"Lord, why isn't anything happening?"
"Lord, I'm fasting, praying, trusting… why does it seem You are attending to other situations while mine stays the same?"
But God's delay does not mean His absence.
While Jairus waited, Jesus kept walking toward his house.
And while we wait, even when we still cannot see it, God is also working in our children's story.
"Don't bother the Teacher anymore"
Then the worst happens.
Word comes from Jairus's house, and they tell him:
"Your daughter is dead; don't bother the Teacher anymore." Luke 8,49
What a timeless phrase.
We too can hear similar voices:
"There's nothing left to do."
"Your child will never change."
"Accept that there's no solution to this."
"Are you still praying about that?"
"Are you still fasting?"
"Don't be a fanatic."
Even those words can come from people close to us, people we love who perhaps want to spare us further suffering.
But then Jesus speaks words that every parent should keep deep in their heart:
"Don't be afraid; just believe." Luke 8,50
Jesus does not ask Jairus to understand.
He asks him to trust.
Keep walking with Jesus.
Jairus had two options: to stop at the news or to keep walking with Jesus. And he kept walking.
That can also be our calling as parents.
Perhaps we still don't see the conversion.
Perhaps we still don't see the healing.
Perhaps our child is still far from God.
Perhaps the family situation even seems to have gotten worse.
Keep walking with Jesus.
Keep praying.
Keep offering it up.
Keep fasting.
Keep loving.
Keep believing.
Because our hope is not placed solely in what our eyes can see today, but in Who walks beside us.
When others laugh at our faith.
When they arrived at the house, everyone was weeping for the girl.
Jesus said:
"Don't cry; she is not dead, but asleep." Luke 8,52
And the Gospel adds something striking:
they laughed at Him.
It can happen to us too.
There will be those who don't understand why we keep believing when humanly everything seems lost.
But our faith is not founded on the opinions of others.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The Lord who raised that little girl still has the power to raise up what we consider lost.
He can heal a body.
He can heal a mental illness.
He can heal what doctors or psychiatrists call incurable.
He can restore a heart.
He can set someone free from an addiction.
He can rebuild a family.
He can restore hope.
And above all, He can spiritually raise a heart that seemed dead.
"Child, get up"
Jesus went in where the girl was, took her by the hand, and said:
"Child, get up." Luke 8,54
And she got up.
Perhaps today there is something in our children's lives about which we need to spiritually hear those same words of Jesus:
"Get up."
Get up from whatever enslaves you.
Get up from hopelessness.
Get up from whatever has drawn you away from God.
Get up and live again.
We cannot perform that miracle.
But we can do what Jairus did:
Bring our children to Jesus and keep walking with Him.
Let's begin giving thanks before we see
Today I would like to propose a faith exercise to you.
Think of what you have been asking for on behalf of one of your children for so long.
And over the coming days, in addition to asking, begin to give thanks.
"Lord, thank You for the work You are doing in my child, even though I still cannot see it."
"Thank You because I know You love him infinitely more than I can love him."
"Thank You because while I wait, You are working."
"Thank You because my child belongs to You."
Giving thanks before seeing does not mean demanding that God do exactly what we want. It means recognizing that we can entrust our children into His hands even while we still don't know how the story will end.
Mature faith does not say:
"God will do exactly what I have imagined."
Faith says:
"God is here. God listens. God loves my child. And I will keep walking with Him."
To keep in your heart
Perhaps someone is telling you today: "Don't bother the Teacher anymore."
Jesus answers you:
"Don't be afraid; just believe."
Don't let go of His hand.
Don't give up on prayer.
Don't lose hope.
Keep bringing your children before Jesus.
Because while you keep walking with Him, God may be writing part of a story you cannot yet see.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, today I once again place my children in Your hands. Where I cannot reach, You reach. Where my words are no longer enough, You speak. Where there is a wound, You touch it. And when humanly it seems there is nothing left to do, remind me of Your words: "Don't be afraid; just believe." Give me the perseverance of Jairus to keep walking with You, even when I still don't see the answer. Amen.