Today's Scripture:

John 19:17-30 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Read: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
I think this passage is telling us to love like Jesus, even during hard times or times of uncertainty. As Christians, our journey through faith will come with many ups and downs, but one thing stays constant: God. If we put our full trust in God, He will carry us and put us on the best path possible. One of my favorite verses right now is John 13:7, "Jesus answered him, 'What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.'" We might not know where God is taking us or why, but we do know we can make the best out of it and love like Him along the way. If we constantly do this, our lives will be transformed and we will have a hand in transforming lives around us.

Reflect: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
This part of scripture is during a very dark time. As you read it, you feel this heavy weight. Jesus is being arrested, tried, and put on the cross to die. But He didn't protest. He knew that this was the reason He was here. He could have just stopped it all and gotten off the cross (after all, He IS God), but He loves us so much He didn't do that. He wants us to have this freedom from sin that we wouldn't get otherwise. To me, this shows just how great His love for us is. In my life, I haven't personally gone through a hard, dark time, but I've seen other people who have, and it's hard. I've had to watch them get hurt, and not know where to go. They have had this weight on them, pulling them down. As a friend and Christian, I've stayed constant with them, showing that I won't leave and turn away, and I won't give up on them, like how God didn't give up on us when He knew He had to die. I've had to love like Jesus, despite the hard circumstances.

Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
I think that this is telling us that we need to reach out to people and show them Jesus' love. If God places a certain person on our hearts, it's for a reason, and we need to act upon it. No matter if they're going through a hard time, you're going through a hard time, or they just need someone to talk to, showing Jesus' love will help. We have to put them before ourselves, just like how Jesus did on the cross. To be able to do this, we have to put our full trust in God and lean on Him, and from there we can share His love to others.

About Piper Barrow:
My name is Piper Barrow, and I am a sophomore at Stratford High School! Currently, I am part of the Stratford water polo and swim teams, and I'm also in the band as a trumpet player. I am heavily involved in both and love putting my all into the activities I love doing. Outside of school, I typically hang out with my friends, play pickle ball, and eat lots of food. I also work as a swim coach for my summer league team and do lots of swim lessons throughout the school year and summer (in between all the mission trips, VBS weeks, and so much more!)
I have been at Grace my whole life! I was baptized here, got confirmed here, and have gone through my faith journey as a student here. I am very involved in anything and everything at Grace, from Student Ministries, to GKM, to VBS. Grace has meant the world to me, and I'm so thankful I can call everyone here my family!