Children of God
Behold what manner of love the father has given unto us that
we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1
Think about the first time you looked in your child's face.
Close your eyes and smell the sweet baby smell and see the puckered red face
and waving fists. There is absolutely nothing to compare with the feeling of
awe and absolute love. Knowing that a
tiny person is completely dependent on you is amazing and humbling. Fast
forward a few years and see the puckered red face and waving fists of that
child as a teenager, screaming that you have ruined his life.(No sweet baby
smell this time.) Is your love any less at that moment? Now flip the script and
think about your mom. Think about her absolute love for you and the hurt in her
eyes when you screamed that she had ruined your life. Picture the times sitting
with her as an adult, knowing she really didn't ruin your life. I think of the
hours spent at sporting events and homework and singing together with my mom at
church, and now I have the same memories with my children. I love those deep
voices rumbling beside me. SHAMELESS
PLUG COMING UP: My 18 year old had his Eagle Scout Court of Honor 2 weeks ago.
I was getting teary eyed before the ceremony even started as person after
person told me how much they loved and appreciated him and how proud they were
of him. The ceremony was something I will treasure forever, complete with a
proclamation from the mayor. Then toward the end of the ceremony he gave us
pins, thanked us and told us he loved us. Both of my grown children hugged me
in front of 150 people. I should probably buy stock in Kleenex. As a mother you
would probably do anything for your children. When my older son was coming out
of the very worst of his teenage years (the screaming, red faced, you ruined my
life part) we celebrated Christmas late. When I told him I wished I had gotten
him more, he said, "Mama, you could have gotten me dirt and I would have
been thrilled. I know I have been awful." Later that day, one of my dear
friends asked him, "Do you have any idea how much your mom loves
you?" He said, "She'd step in front of a train for me, wouldn't
she?" My friend answered, "Without thinking for a second!"
I am not going to pretend that all of us had great relationships
with our mothers or with our children. I can't speak to dads and kids because
it is different than what we experience as mothers. What I am saying is that
that kind of love, as strong as it is, is an infinitesimal shadow of they love
that God has for us. God's love for us began before we were born. The psalmist
says, "you knit me together in my mother's womb. Your eyes beheld my
inmost parts. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. "( Ps 139:15) He tells
Jeremiah, "before you were born I knew and called you to be a prophet.
(Jeremiah 1:9) Like children are dependent on their parents, we are dependent
on God. Paul says in his sermon on Mars Hill, "In him we live and move and
have our very being." Just as our mothers loved us and we love our children
when they are difficult to love, God's love is steadfast (Lamentations 3:23)
The entire book of Hosea is a picture of God's love for a stubborn, sinful
Israel as Hosea loves his wife Gomer. God takes delight in the time we spend
with him, whether it is prayer, meditation or worship. He has plans for us to
give us a future and a hope and longs to bless us and make us "the head
and not the tail, the first and not the last. (Deuteronomy 28, READ THE WHOLE
CHAPTER OUT LOUD). In the Gospels, Jesus asks, Which one of you, if your son
asks for a fish would give him a snake, or if he asks for bread, would give him
a stone? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to you children,
will not God graciously give you all things? Finally, just as we would give our
lives for our children, God gave his son for us so that we could be his
children.
As so often happens, this is not the plan I had for this
story, but I think it is what God wants to tell us as his precious daughters
and sons.
