Love

When our youngest was seven, she broke her arm in spectacular fashion. Naturally, we were in the other room when she fell. She assured us she had been chasing a balloon and tripped, landing awkwardly on her arm. She was in tears, and we comforted her on the way to the emergency room where they set her arm and put on a cast. Only when we got home did she dissolve into tears that were far more intense than the tears caused by the pain of her injury. These were tears of guilt as the confession poured out, words tumbling one over another.

As it turned out, our daughter had not been chasing a balloon when she fell. She had been standing on the coffee table—something she had been asked repeatedly not to do. And then for reasons that only she knew, she decided to try a cartwheel off the forbidden table. Her confession complete, she lay against my chest waiting for our response. I think she was sure she was in trouble because of her disobedience and the lie that accompanied it. Instead, we held her close and comforted her. She had learned her lesson the hard way—like many of us do. Surely God often looks down at us, after we confess that we are suffering from our own poor choices, and says, “Here. Lay your head on My chest. You’re forgiven.”

God loves us even more than we love our children, even when we are sinful. When we confess our sins and repent from our disobedience, he is quick to forgive. Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. Nothing.

WHEN YOU NEED A REMINDER OF WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE . . .

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

WHEN YOU DOUBT THE LOVE OF GOD . . .

This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

[Jesus said,] “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.”

WHEN YOU NEED TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WHERE TRUE LOVE IS FOUND . . .

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We love each other because he loved us first.

WHEN YOU WONDER HOW LONG GOD WILL LOVE YOU . . .

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His faithful love endures forever.

WHEN YOUR MOTHER’S HEART THINKS OF THE NEXT GENERATION . . .

The LORD is good.

His unfailing love continues forever,

and his faithfulness continues to each generation.