There are times when I am happily overwhelmed with the joys of motherhood... and there are other times when I am just plain overwhelmed. But one of the most poignant and eye-opening experiences of parenthood thus far has been the new understanding it's given me of my relationship with God and His unfathomable love for us.
I distinctly remember a day when still pregnant that it suddenly hit me how much I loved the unborn child I was carrying. I had never met him, I didn't know his name or his personality or the color of his eyes. I knew nothing about him except that he existed. And still, I loved him. It brought tears to my eyes then (I was walking home from work, I think it was a Thursday...) to suddenly recognize with new clarity the true meaning of God's parenthood over us. Earthly parents would do anything for their children, only want the best for them and provide it to the best of their ability, would even die for their children. How much more does our Heavenly Father love us, and with a more perfect love?
Before we were born, before our parents knew us, HE knew us. Our names were written on His heart when Christ hung on the tree, He wrote our names in the Book of Life before time began. What a powerful realization that was for me. Of course, I always knew this fact in my head, but the experience of motherhood really brought it home. My love for my son is a mere fraction, a speck (and a flawed one at that) of the love that God has for us and has awe-inspiringly displayed in His plan of salvation through Christ (His own Son). I am constantly impressed by the power of love I feel for Cormac and even more so by the realization that God's love for me is the same... yet much, much greater.
How blessed we are to have a God of love, the ultimate Parent, who gave Himself for us -- knowing our sin, seeing our flaws, understanding the depth of our depravity... and forgiving it. Not merely forgiving it, but washing it clean, whiter than snow.
Just focusing on this thought is my devotion for today and my inspiration for this week.
Not sappy, but convicting.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought that helped my parenting perspective was to remember that the training I did to help my children obey their earthly father was training that helped them learn to obey their Heavenly Father....