I have been a Christian, specifically a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my whole life, but it seems like I will never stop learning more about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That's good I suppose, but it still always surprises me. You'd think I'd be used to it by now!
Recently I have been thinking about love.
You've probably been told at some point in your life (or heard someone else be told this) that your life changes when you become a parent.
And it does.
But not always in ways that you expect.
One way that my life has changed is that I am beginning to understand the way that God loves me.
It is effortless to throw around adjectives describing His love, such as endless, never-changing, infinite, all encompassing, etc.
And quite another to believe those words.
I have recently been accepting the fact that I cannot earn God's love, and likewise I cannot lose it. He loves me because He made me, because I am His.
And I am recognizing that aspect of His love because of how I love Jill and Daniel. I love them, because I made them, because they are mine. There is honestly nothing they could do that could make me not love them. (Parents of teenagers or difficult children may disagree with me, but the actions of those children wouldn't hurt you as much if you didn't love them! If you didn't love them, then you wouldn't care!)
Jill may disobey me, or Daniel may bite me, and they may make my life difficult, but nothing they have ever done or ever could do will change the fact that I love them.
Interesting, isn't it?
My love for them is seemingly innate, a part of me that can never be removed.
God loves me like that, too. He is always willing to welcome me back, and His Son Jesus Christ has ensured that there is a way for me to return to our Heavenly Father.
This Easter season is a great time to eat lots of candy and see cute bunnies every where and also a wonderful time to ponder the gift of love our God has given us. He gave us a Savior whom He loved very much, because He loves us very much, too. Christ suffered for our sins in Gethsemane and Golgotha, and then He rose again, permanently conquering death and sin in just one week and eternally paving a way for me to return to the presence of God, who is Love.
I do not mean to suggest that only parents can feel or understand God's love. I intend simply to share how I have gained a deeper understanding of this beautiful principle.
Upon continued thought, I realize that my eventual goal must be to love everyone like I love Jill and Daniel—to love everyone how God loves them. What a magnificent world we could live in if we could all love one another that way.
And when I say love, I mean an endless, life changing, all encompassing kind of love.
And in a slight alteration of topic, here are some pictures of people I love.
Recently I have been thinking about love.
You've probably been told at some point in your life (or heard someone else be told this) that your life changes when you become a parent.
And it does.
But not always in ways that you expect.
One way that my life has changed is that I am beginning to understand the way that God loves me.
It is effortless to throw around adjectives describing His love, such as endless, never-changing, infinite, all encompassing, etc.
And quite another to believe those words.
I have recently been accepting the fact that I cannot earn God's love, and likewise I cannot lose it. He loves me because He made me, because I am His.
And I am recognizing that aspect of His love because of how I love Jill and Daniel. I love them, because I made them, because they are mine. There is honestly nothing they could do that could make me not love them. (Parents of teenagers or difficult children may disagree with me, but the actions of those children wouldn't hurt you as much if you didn't love them! If you didn't love them, then you wouldn't care!)
Jill may disobey me, or Daniel may bite me, and they may make my life difficult, but nothing they have ever done or ever could do will change the fact that I love them.
Interesting, isn't it?
My love for them is seemingly innate, a part of me that can never be removed.
God loves me like that, too. He is always willing to welcome me back, and His Son Jesus Christ has ensured that there is a way for me to return to our Heavenly Father.
This Easter season is a great time to eat lots of candy and see cute bunnies every where and also a wonderful time to ponder the gift of love our God has given us. He gave us a Savior whom He loved very much, because He loves us very much, too. Christ suffered for our sins in Gethsemane and Golgotha, and then He rose again, permanently conquering death and sin in just one week and eternally paving a way for me to return to the presence of God, who is Love.
I do not mean to suggest that only parents can feel or understand God's love. I intend simply to share how I have gained a deeper understanding of this beautiful principle.
Upon continued thought, I realize that my eventual goal must be to love everyone like I love Jill and Daniel—to love everyone how God loves them. What a magnificent world we could live in if we could all love one another that way.
And when I say love, I mean an endless, life changing, all encompassing kind of love.
And in a slight alteration of topic, here are some pictures of people I love.
Jill and Daddy at Jill's first swimming lesson
Daniel "watching" his sister at the first swimming lesson
Thank you for taking pictures, Grandma!
I love this post. I have had these same thoughts when thinking about the way I feel for my boys. It really makes you realize that the family unit is crucial to God's plan. There is no better place to learn how to become more Christ like.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I am excited to hear how Jill's swimming lessons go! I want to hear what you think. I have been debating on whether or not to enroll Ryan in a class and I would like to hear if you think it is worth it or not. :)
What a great post. Kyle and I went to a Mercy Me concert last night and this was their main message. Even though media pushes us to act and look a certain way, God will love me no matter. I don't have to earn his love because it's already there and unconditional. Like 1 Corinthians 13:4, love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. God is that love. I may sin and be disobedient but Jesus gave his life to save me in an unconditional, selfless way. God is the almighty King no matter what I do and no matter what He does. Even when things don’t go the way I want and the way I pray, He is still King. Sickness that goes uncured, loved ones that are lost, misfortune that happens, He is still King. He still loves and most importantly, deserves to be glorified. We are here to glorify Him. And when we do, we will learn to love the way He loves.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't heard it, you should listen to their song "Beautiful". Bart wrote it for his two daughters.
Daniel's pose reminds me a lot of one of his great granddads, and I'm certain that his love is overwhelming, with his eyes open or closed. Thanks, Mimi. Love is a wonderful thing. Please remember that I love you and your family. I may not have made you, but I can't help feeling that I may have participated in it just a tiny bit. Love, grandpa H.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be something to love everyone that way? I casually say I love everyone, but obviously not like that.... Some people are just easier to love than others :)
ReplyDeleteLove the cute pics- my kids will have fun at the pool this summer with Jill!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree. It is amazing to ponder the love of a parent, especially the Perfect parent, our loving Father in Heaven. I know that He loves me much more perfectly than I am capable of loving Jonathan at this time, as much as I love him dearly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!