“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelations 3:20 NIV
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” C.S. Lewis
It’s my son’s birthday today. When he was born, screaming and squished discovering his tongue, I fell in love with him. There was nothing I would not do for him. It’s the closest feeling and experience I’ve had to how much God loves us, his children. My son had not done one thing to earn my love. He didn’t need to. I just loved.
1st John describes us as little children. God loves us perfectly and without earning anything (as if we could), and even though I love my son more than life, I have not loved him perfectly.
We have an intimate, soul-building relationship with our father too. Like all relationships, there’s laughter, encouragement, lessons, discipline, trials, conversations, apologies, listening (the hard one) and more. I don’t always understand my son. He doesn’t always understand me. Troubles come from lack of understanding. Taking things personally, reacting out of anger, silent treatments, temper tantrums and slamming doors are part of the human relationship experience. It’s not fair! Has been shouted by young and old.
How many times have I done this with my heavenly father? Many, many times. There’s still things I hang onto where I feel God wronged me. Got to fess up. Unload. With grace. Slowly, transformation and gratefulness fills the heart. Some of our spiritual greats have done this too. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh. I don’t think he ever came full-circle on this one. Elijah fell into a great depression. David and his erring ways with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband certainly deserves attention. God loved. God restored. God transformed.
Musings
We have a 24-hour-a-day relationship with ourselves. Thankfully, we have the same with our Father. He’s more than a 911 hotline, more than a loving friend, more than Santa Clause. He loves us so much that he wants to spend all his time with us. He loves us so much that he transforms our character. He loves us so much that he grieves with us. He loves to just be with us. And we don’t earn it. It, too, is a priceless gift. May we enjoy him today and every day.
Prayer
Dear Father,
We aren’t a puppet; we are a partner with you. You are first in all our relationships. Because of you and our relationships with you, we are transformed into more loving people. More like your son. We take you with us every minute of our day, in everything we do and say with thanks.
Amen.
Prayers and Musings of a Black Sheep 