Light, Love, Hope

I sit in awe of my daughters at times.  Feeling incredibly blessed by God, I thank Him repeatedly for allowing me to be their mother!  I have witnessed them grow right before my eyes; what a distinct honor and privilege!  From tiny newborn babies with pink wrinkled skin making their grand entrance into this world; to toddlers bouncing around the house learning how to walk, climb, and find trouble around every bend; to school aged children soaking up the material taught to them as they fill their brains with lots of knowledge; to teenagers testing the water and pushing the limits; and finally to an adult getting ready to spread her wings and fly from the nest in the near future.

My babies have grown up right before my eyes.  I thank God for allowing me to be here to witness it all.

And I’ve grown, too.

Along the way, they have made me a better person.  They have me striving to be the best I can be because I’ve known for quite some time that their little eyes are watching me.  They see, hear, and witness more than we think they do, and at a young and impressionable age, we need to be mindful of this.  We don’t want to have a double standard with “Do as I say and not as I do …” No, we want to be good roles models for them.

They are like little seeds planted in the garden of our hearts needing nourishment, constant care, and our undivided attention.  What an honor to shower our love upon them, washing over their hearts, as we watch the green buds split open the earth and the most beautiful flower emerge.

And that is when you know you have lived life to the fullest, as you watch your babies grow!

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud. 

⁵ It does not dishonor others,

it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

⁶ Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth. 

⁷ It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

We’ve probably all read this bible verse.  It’s a very popular verse turned into a song, as it was sung at our wedding years ago.  What greater verse to be incorporated into our wedding ceremony than this?  It is so beautiful and eloquently written.  It speaks volumes of the type of love we should strive to have and give to others.

We fall short, though, don’t we?

I know I have.

There have been times I’ve allowed my patience to run short.  I lose my cool and say displeasing things.  I’m not proud of that, but I’m human and these things are bound to happen.

At the end of the day, though, my loved ones KNOW in their hearts that my love will protect them, shield them, and shelter them as much as it possibly can from harm.  Oh how I wish they never had to face any form of heartache or pain.  How I wish I could take all of that and endure it for them so they never had to feel any of it.  Yet, I am a mere mortal that does not possess that power.   Pain is a part of life, and no matter how much I love my family, they will still face heartache and pain.  But my love will be right there waiting on them, and I will stretch out my arms to hold them a little tighter and hold them a little longer.

Like a child needing their mother to bandage their skint knee after a fall, I will try with all of my might to soothe their hurting hearts and shower them with my love.  I may not be able to kiss it and make it better, but I can stand with them in the gap praying over them and loving them unconditionally through it all.

And now these three remain:

faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

I’m sure you’ve heard the above scripture quoted in church, but have you allowed them to truly speak to your heart?

When all else fails, remember the three things that remain:

Faith – When your fears try to take over, allow your faith to prevail.  Let it speak directly to your fears and tell them to leave as it has no place here.  Our God is bigger than your deepest fear, and He holds you in the palm of His hand.

Hope – God has instilled hope without our hearts.  No matter what we’re facing, there’s always a glimmer of hope if we only grasp on to it and cling to it with all of our might.  God provides hope in the mist of devastating circumstances or situations.

Love – Is there anything sweeter than to know, feel, and to be told that you are loved?  Without a shadow of a doubt, you can feel yourself wrapped in the love of your God.  No storm can rage against you that God isn’t going to be there shielding you with His great love.  I believe that with every ounce of my being.

If you’re going through a hard time, cling to that scripture – allow faith to take over and leave fear in the rear view mirror.  Cling to the hope that is in Jesus Christ.  And feel His love wash over you.  There is no greater love than the love the Father has for His children.

Imagine how you feel when you look at your children.  They are little angels sent straight from Heaven above to make our hearts dance wildly and feel unconditional love like never before.  Realize that how you feel about your children and how you look at them is exactly the way our Father God looks at us and loves us – only a thousand times greater!  Can you imagine that?   Believe it, because it’s true!

When things of this world pass away, when people disappoint you and hurt you, know that God is right there with you every step of the way.  He wants to restore your faith, give you a new hope and love on you like never before, if you will only allow Him to do so.