Scripture Scribbles: June 28, 2026

the Gospel

Matthew 10:37-42

Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.""Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

the scribble

This past April, I attended a family gathering. I had not seen my brother in over thirty years, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with him.

“Are you happy, Karen?” he asked in a hopeful tone.

My brother was in an incredibly jovial mood, having recently purchased an oceanfront retirement home for his family on the east coast of Florida. I was genuinely happy for him and did not want to dampen his exuberance in any way. Had he asked me the question a few weeks before, my answer might have been a resounding yes. But earlier that day, I had made a rash change in plans that undoubtedly hurt my sister, and I felt terrible about it. There were also concerns weighing on my heart: my children’s commitment to growing in faith and holiness, my longing for a loving family and marriage, and the ordinary struggles of daily life.

I paused.

I knew my brother wanted me to be as happy as he was in that moment. Yet he also knew me well enough to sense when something was troubling me.

“In the journey of life,” I began, “there are always going to be struggles along the way.”

He smiled gently and nodded in agreement.

Christianity is not without a cross: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”

Happiness is fleeting, but there is deeper joy in knowing Christ remains with us in every season of life.

Today’s devotion was written by Karen Molvar