I Love You Lots And Cows

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)

I don’t know where she got the idea. Maybe it was because we’d just visited our friend’s dairy farm. She found the animals intimidating—larger than life. In my daughter’s world, those cattle were the biggest presence imaginable. That might be why, when her dad asked her, “How much does Daddy love you?” our two-year-old answered, “Cows.”

“Cows?” My husband laughed. “Silly, how much does Daddy love you?”

Again, she answered, “Cows.”

For days, our daughter upheld this baffling reply until finally my husband taught her an appropriate response. I walked into the family room to find them both beaming and clapping their hands.

“Say it for Mom!” my husband cheered. “How much does Daddy love you?”

“Lots!” she shouted. “Lots and cows!”

It’s been years since we first heard that phrase, and still it’s etched in our ears and on our hearts. Out of the blue I’ll look at one of my now-teenage daughters and say, “I love you lots and cows.” And they reply, “I love you lots and cows, too, Mom.” Then we smile and giggle over a sweet declaration that still resonates the way only a family joke can.

Yet it’s so much more than a lark. There’s a truth behind my toddler’s original answer that digs much deeper than humor or childlike wonder. Because if we were to rephrase my husband’s question, it might sound something like this:

How much does God love us?

If the Lord had to describe in human-scale terms his colossal, unfathomable love, I think he’d say…

I love you this sunset.

I love you Grand Canyon.

I love you Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Mars.

My child, can’t you see? I love you Jesus.

Wow. That is big indeed.

As parents we have a unique opportunity to pass along the Father’s love to our children day in and day out, through the sleepless nights and science projects, soccer sidelines and prom parties. Every ordinary moment with our kids is a chance to show them they are loved not for what they do, but for who they are. And that is a privilege indeed.

But here’s what we sometimes forget in the exhaustion of all that giving: Our Heavenly Father feels this same fierce, profound, lots-and-cows love for us, too. We are His daughters. And our closest relationship — the one that never needs a nap, never begs for snacks, never moves away to college — is with our Father in Heaven.

When we truly soak in how deeply He loves us, that love has a way of overflowing onto our family. So if you’re feeling spent today, remember how much your Daddy loves you. And He will give you the strength to love your people well, too.

“How much does Momma love you?” I asked my daughter all those years ago, when her lanky grown-up frame was still hidden inside a potbellied, pigtailed toddler.

“Lots and cows!” She smiled.

I kissed her forehead, held her cheeks in my hands and followed up with a new question. “And how much does God love you?”

“Lots and cows — and peanut butter!”

Precious girl. She gets it.

Reflect

• Do you know how much God loves you? Read 1 John 4:9-11, Psalm 86:15, 1 John 3:1 and Zephaniah 3:17. What do these verses say to you?

Apply

• Next time you’re outside for a walk or a drive, look up at the sky. Consider how vast it is, and how small you are compared to God’s universe. And yet, God cares for you intimately. He created you (Psalm 139) and He keeps watch over every hair on your head (Matthew 10:29-31). How do you see yourself in light of this? Do you realize how valuable you are?