A Father's Love
In October, my wife Martha gave birth to our third child, Asher. I've been warned that having three children is a lot different than having two because, as parents, you are now outnumbered. Asher is just an infant, so we've not had to worry yet about what to do when three kids are running in three different directions, but I know the day is coming. I know that as innocent as Asher is now that there will be times when he will test my patience, and there will certainly be times when my patience fails.
As we prepared for Asher's arrival, my wife gave me a Honey-Do list (i.e. Honey do this, Honey do that). More than preparing for the arrival of our new baby, we were preparing for the arrival of my parents who would be visiting for one week right when Asher was born. The house had to be clean. Because I was so focused on preparing for the new arrival(s), I wasn't able to give Jacob and Bella, my other two children, the time that they were used to having with me. So they did everything they could to get my attention. They would grab the window cleaner, open the door that I was trying to wash from outside with a hose, climb all through the van as I was vacuuming it, and do many other annoying and irritating things. There were glimpses of me losing my patience in the tone of my voice as I yelled at them whenever they interrupted me, but the moment came when I finally lost it completely. I was writing up instructions for whoever would be watching the kids when it was time to take Martha to the hospital. Bella was grabbing at things on the desk as I typed. She grabbed a receipt, and I grabbed for it and missed. She taunted me by holding it away from me. I struggled for it, but she got away. I ran after her and gave her a swat on the backside. Apparently I didn't hit her hard enough because she laughed at me, which just made me even angrier. So I gave her a much harder swat, enough for her to get the point, and she started crying. (They say you are not supposed to discipline your children in the heat of your anger, but I failed miserably on this occasion.) I felt bad because I knew she just wanted some attention, and I had overreacted. I apologized to her and asked for her forgiveness, which she gladly gave me.
Before I had kids, I was told that becoming a father would help me better understand God's love for us. It is true, but not in the way I expected it to be true. On the one hand, I love my children with a love that is deeper and more powerful than any other human love. On the other hand, my love is just that-human love. And human love runs out quickly. If the way I love my kids is the way God loves me, than I am in trouble. My love is finite, imperfect, and not always in control of my actions. But God's love is not that way. The Psalmist proclaims, "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15). God's love is perfect, extending even his to his enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). And even when we rejected God and were living our lives in the way that seemed best to us, God showed us love. How? The Apostle Paul writes, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). And let's not forget God's greatest gift of love to the world, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Post a Comment
Comments for this post have been disabled.