Love keeps on growing
I’m blessed to be a new grandmother AND have the opportunity to keep these two special gifts on some days when their mom and dad are working. When my granddaughter was a newborn, I created a lullaby to help her relax for her afternoon nap. I hummed or used da-da or la-la for the notes. No words to the song, just a tune as I held her, swaying gently to the melody.
As she got older, we shared the song less and less. But, now she has a baby brother. One afternoon, I held and rocked him as I shared the same tune with him before his nap. My sweet girl stopped her play and turned to stare at us. Her eyes got big and tears overflowed.
She cried.
After I laid the little one down for his nap, my girl came to me and lifted her arms to be held. She never explained why she cried, but I believe it was more than an attack of jealously. I think she feared there was no room in my heart to love both of them.
She was afraid I didn’t love her anymore. She worried that little brother had all my love.
Do you ever wonder how God can love all His children at once?
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
How do we really know God loves us?
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10.
Because our Creator loves us so much, He gifted us with the capacity to love. Doesn’t our heart burst with love when we hold our grandchildren? When we think of our parents, spouse, and children, doesn’t our love for them pulse through us like an infinite spring of water?
For I am convinced that neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
Paul writes of God’s great love for us. He firmly states that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. The promise we receive is not only God’s infinite gift of love for us–we are given the capacity to love, Love, LOVE.
Of course I wanted to reassure my girl. I welcomed her into my arms, held her close to my heart, and shared the melody that I had created just for her. After a few moments, she climbed down and played. She was confident that I still loved her.
Just as we are assured of God’s great love for us.
Dear friends, since God loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete. 1 John 4:11-12
So our response to God’s great love for us is to love one another. We are called to share the Good News of Christ’s love for us with others, with our children, our grandchildren, our friends, our neighbors, and with strangers.
As we celebrate Independence Day, I pray you will thank God for the blessings we have been granted to live in the United States. Here we are allowed to worship our Lord freely, share the Gospel with others, and live with our loved ones in relative safety. And I am especially thankful for the gift of love, that amazing emotion created by God and shared with us.
What a sweet picture. I love my “gifts” too. I think one of the most important truths I hang on to daily is “God loves me and never stops- is never too busy for me- never “doesn’t look up” when I ask a question or utter a sentence.” His attention to me is never delayed but is constant. We can’t understand it but it’s true because He said it. Thanks for a reassuring post.
Marilyn, thanks so much for sharing your truth. It’s a beautiful message of faith and helps us to recognize how much God loves us. He is never too busy to listen and offer love, hope, and encouragement. You are right, we can’t understand it, but like you, I “hang on” to His promise.
Katherine, what a great “look” into God’s love!
My kids are adults now and my one daughter will ask my wife, “I’m your favorite, right mom?” My wife smiles and answers, “I love all five of my kids just the same.”
It reminds me of James and John’s mother asking Jesus to treat her sons as favorites.
Thankfully and not really knowing how, God loves each person with an everlasting love! Thanks for reminding us of this!
I’m the youngest of five and never dared to ask my mother the question your daughter poses to your wife. It made me smile. I’m sure that’s a special moment for them each time it occurs. I don’t know how God can love us more than we love our children, but He does. It’s a miracle! Most of the time, I’m not very lovable, but God still loves me. We are so blessed!
What a sweet and gentle reminder of how much our omnipresent God loves us. So much so that He enables His overflow of love to flow through parents and grandparents into their families. What a sweet story and wonderful lesson Ms. Katherine. I’m going to need extra insulin this morning. God’s blessings ma’am.
God’s blessings to you, my friend. You gifted me with a big smile today (which I needed). I’ve been looking through pictures to divide them with my children. So many memories.
Thank you, Katherine, for reminding us of how much God loves us. I feel the assurance of His love when I read His Word. There’s no greater love than Christ dying for my sins.
Oh, yes, LuAnn, I agree. There’s no greater love than one who will lay down His life for others and our Lord CHOSE that path. Even in our unworthiness, He loves us beyond our comprehension. Thank you for reminding us.
We can never be reminded too many times how much God loves us. Our enemy tries to steal that truth from our hearts, and we can let situations in our lives sometimes agree with him. But we know His truth never fails and neither does His love. Thank you for the sweet story and congratulations on the new grandchild.
Sometimes when life gets in the way and we are stressed, we forget how much God loves us. I agree with you–we can never be reminded too many times. When we are tired, weary, and stumbling, He is there to pick us up, to carry us if needed. Our Lord never gives up on us. Wishing you a blessed week, my friend.
The feelings we have when we love our children, spouse, etc is only a small measure of the unfailing and abundant love the Lord has for us. Glad for this reminder, that God is not to be viewed and experienced as a displeased, anger father but a loving and faithful one. Thanks, Katherine!
Our God is faithful, even when we are not. His love for us is beyond our comprehension. I love my family so much, it’s hard to recognize that my love is just a dim reflection when viewed in the majesty of the Light of Jesus. I think our Father can be angry at us (me, for sure), but unlike humans, God doesn’t hold grudges, He is forgiving, and He is always ready to welcome us with arms of love.
An emotional and beautiful post, Katherine. I think it’s my favorite yet. When I need assurance of God’s love, I recall how He’s come through in the past. He always works the circumstances of life together for my good.
Hope you enjoyed the holiday!
You’ve reminded me of such an important fact, Candyce. God always comes through for us. I confess, when faced with worry, stress, and anxiety, that assurance sometimes seems out of reach. Like my sweet girl, I sometimes need that extra hug. Thank you for your good wishes and encouragement.
How wonderfully you present the faithful love of God!
Thank you, Nancy. We are so blessed that God loves us far beyond our ability to comprehend. Love, mercy, and grace.
Katherine, your post encouraged me to share God’s infinite love more often, and I enjoyed the precious story about your grandchildren. They are indeed treasured gifts from God. They, and everyone in our circle of influence, need to experience His love through us. Beautiful post!
Jeannie, I think you will agree that we learn wonderful lessons from our grandchildren. I concur with you–grandchildren are treasured gifts from God. Just when we think our hearts are filled to capacity with love, God sends us grandchildren and that love overflows in an endless fountain. Thanks so much for your encouragement.
Katherine, your post was sweet and encouraging yet profound. Because God loves us, He gave us the capacity to love others. What a beautiful memory for your granddaughter… she has learned a hands-on lesson about love.
Thank you, Deborah. I learned a hands-on lesson about love, too. I’m storing up these precious memories in my heart as did Mary following the birth of her precious Son, Jesus. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered the in her heart. Luke 2:19 We are so blessed by the gift of God’s love for us and His gift for us to be able to experience love–giving and receiving. Thanks for visiting my blog. Wishing you many blessings.
As a grandma to three boys and one newborn girl, I can relate to this capacity to love. God just keeps stretching my boundaries so that my reservoir gets bigger and bigger. I love your tie-in to our Heavenly Father’s love. It is ceaseless, everlasting, and so vast it is hard to comprehend. He said, ‘the WHOLE world’ – He loved the world so much He sent His only son.
Beautifully expressed, Jeanne. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Such a sweet time with your granddaughter and new little one, too. And I really appreciate the verses you have shared that remind each of us that God truly loves each one of us AND sings over us, as you did over your littles!
Although I had heard others speak of their joy when experiencing the blessings of having grandchildren, I never understood what a true blessing our Father bestows upon us until I became a grandmother. I suppose part of the happiness we feel stems from the awareness of recognizing our time on earth is limited and we’ve been granted this extra special gift in our older adult years. Then, of course, we are also under a different set of stressors than when we were young parents worrying about careers, finances, and all the fears that we might not be the “perfect” parent. Whatever the reasons that we love our sweet grandchildren so dearly, I’m so happy to be a part of that group. I’m thankful my little ones are close enough that I see them regularly. I love your word picture Kathy, that our Father sings over us in His joy of parenthood. Thank you for sending me a blessings today, my friend.