Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The love of a child

When I get home from work, it takes less than a second for my hand to hit the doorknob before my daughter starts running into the kitchen, excitedly yelling "Daddy!!" Its as though all she has wanted all day long was for me to be home. All she wants is for me to pick her up, give her a big hug and then play with her. Its really hard to resist, but after spending the previous 12+ hours in the ICU, I need a shower and fresh clothes before I go touching anything! One day this past week, I got out of the shower, grabbed some dinner and had a seat on the couch... this little lady crawled up onto my lap, and cuddled in, just wanting to be close to me. She didn't want or need anything from me, just closeness. After I finished my dinner, she hopped down, grabbed her bag of blocks, sat down and said, "Now, daddy play blocks with me." It was an evening of pure, simple, love. No agenda, no manipulation, no worldly corruption... pure, simple, child like love. I am long-convinced that of the many blessings that come with having a child (or in my case, children) is the easy and evident snapshot of love. And not just any love, but the love that exists between parent and child and, at its best, how it mimics the love of God to His children. But in this case, the example of the love that His children should have for Him. Jesus tells us to be child-like. Not in a sense of immaturity, but in a sense of purity. When we feel God's presence near us, when He is rattling the doorknob, we should run excitedly to Him. When we ask to be, and plead to be in His arms, we need to understand that there are times we must simply wait, and that there is a reason. When we are in His presence, sometimes we should just sit with Him, sometimes we should play. Never with an agenda, never with a manipulative heart, never by the standard of our world... we should delight in His presence. Our requests should be pure and centered on our desire to be closer to God, and to want to be active with Him. Its not possible to put into words the feelings of reciprocal love between parents and children. To try would be a disservice, and would fall immensely far from the truth. It is something that can only be experienced by those who are actively taking part in the relationship. The beauty of the love is in its simplicity and completeness, it depends on nothing outside of itself. It is sustaining, unending, and perfect. It is not without struggles, pain, discipline, and heartache. We accept that those hard times come, and through them, we grow in the depth of this love. I pray that my life would reflect a love of God that is anywhere near as pure as the love my children have for me. I pray the same for anyone who happens to read this... there is a God that longs for you to experience His love. No one on this earth can put into words the depth and beauty of that love, only you can experience it for yourself. Seek it out.

No comments:

Post a Comment