This Is Love
Three months ago, our daughter gave birth to our eighth grandchild – a sweet little boy. She and her husband live far from our home in Texas – hundreds of miles away across a great ocean. We couldn’t be there for his birth, but thanks to the wonders of modern technology our daughter brought us right into her hospital room to see our grandson for the first time. Since that day we have “visited” with them every Sunday, while we anxiously wait to get to hold him in our arms this Christmas.
Many years have gone by since we’ve had a newborn in our family. Every week I marvel at the newness and innocence of this precious little one. My heart longs to keep him just that way – to protect him from the things life brings to all of us. I would love to be able to shelter him from pain and sorrow, to keep his heart safe from hurtful wounds.
But my heart understands, in the long run, it really wouldn’t be good for him. A sheltered, protected life is not a full life. In order to keep him from all possible harm, we would also have to keep him from so much that is good. And since it isn’t possible to keep babies from growing and the world from intruding he will benefit far more from wise counsel, loving discipline and strong arms to pick him up when he falls.
So it is with our relationship with the Lord – our heavenly Father. What joy He must feel when we come to Him – newly born in the Spirit. I wonder if He longs to shelter us and keep us from anything that could possibly harm us – to protect this new life. He is far too wise for such thoughts. He knows all too well the dangers we face. He understands in order for us to grow strong in faith, to be able to survive in the face of sorrow and suffering we must learn to stand. And having learned, we experience the great joy and peace and blessing that come through knowing Him more.
It is love that compels us to love our children with open arms – to allow them to grow and learn; to succeed and fail; while all the while we surround them with that love. It is love that compels the Lord to do the very same thing for us.
“And I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” II Cor. 6:18
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1: 2-4
Blessings,
Linda
Thank you for the reminder that our trials will produce perseverance.
Congratulations on the new grandson.