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Barren but Blessed – Trusting God with the Rest
Earthly Reminders
This weekend, I am on a girls’ trip to St. Louis to celebrate the upcoming arrival of my dear friend’s daughter. By girls’ trip I don’t mean the variety of late night dancing and mid-morning Starbuck runs, but rather late night Disney channel and early morning swims with my daughters. I enjoy this type of weekend with one-on-one time, but my boys were none too happy to be left behind.
I was feeling slightly guilty as I hit the road because my oldest son and I butted heads all day yesterday. All. Day. He’s a hilarious, witty, deep thinker and will make an amazing adult some day. Unfortunately, as an eight-year-old it, more often than not, comes across as rude and disrespectful. It’s a tricky line we’re trying to balance, finding the appropriate mix of his best traits that compliment his current age. It’s a struggle.
So after a day of arguments, I had some serious mom guilt about leaving him for the weekend. The kind of mom guilt that occupies your every thought, confirming that your child thinks you’re the worst mother on the planet and will never forgive you for crumbling up his far-too-sloppy homework and making him do it again. The kind that is totally illogical yet all consuming.
Then, I found this …
“I miss your hugs and I love you. Love Cam”
Cue the tears. And the relief. He missed me before I even left. He loves me still after the yelling, the arguments and the homework crumpling. He loves me still.
I’m so refreshed by my children’s unconditional love for me. I mess up – over and over again – and they love me still. I yell, more than I want to, and they love me still. I truly believe God instills in children a well of unconditional love to be constant Earthly reminders of His love. If we had no comprehension of a type of love that does not falter, how could we even imagine the great love our Father has for us?
Children, their innate innocence and unending forgiveness, are our daily reminder that nothing can separate us from His love.
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, 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.
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