By Christiane Esser
My father was my world; he was there for me whenever I needed him. Every evening I would wait for him to get home from work — I couldn’t fall asleep before he arrived home and gave me a kiss good night.
My father worked long and hard, and I knew it was for us, his family. We were his life – when he wasn’t working, he was spending time with us. Without a doubt he was my hero. A man of faith, determined to be the best he could be with the talents and abilities that God had given him. He lived simply, yet passionately.
In the gospels we read about a father named Jairus, who in some way reminds me of my own dad.
“And a man named Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came forward. He fell at the feet of Jesus and begged him to come to his house, because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.” (Luke 8: 41 – 42)
True love has no limits. Jairus did everything he could for his little girl. I imagine that Jairus went to all the best doctors in town, did his best to take care of every physical need, and prayed to God to have mercy on his young daughter.
Then, he did the only other thing that he could — he searched for Jesus. Surely, the rabbi known for miraculous healing power could help his daughter. Jairus begged Jesus to come and save her, and his plea was answered. Jesus restored her to life!
Without Jesus, Jairus would have lost his only child — Jesus was the answer. My father searched for his answers in Jesus. He began and ended his day with prayer – seeking the Lord and presenting his needs to the Heavenly Father. I am sure there were many times when he asked God to “save” me, his little girl, and that is the best thing that any father can do for his daughter.