This week's focus is love. One of the questions asked in the follow up was 'How does your relationship with your parents affect your relationship with God?"
This one I've given a lot of thought to over the years. I told John a long time ago that I couldn't see God as Father. My own dad's input in my life left a lot to be desired, or so I felt at the time. A lot more water under the bridge since those long ago early days of being a baby Christian. At the time, however, I just couldn't grasp what a good father was like. So I pretty much rejected God but accepted Christ if that makes any sense to you at all.
Over the intervening years I have had the opportunity to see many good fathers. John and his dad, my sons and son in law, are all really good dads. I had an opportunity to make peace with my dad before he died. That altered my view of him as a father in many ways. I was able to see him for what he was: beaten down and worn and lonely and dealing with his own baggage. I know now he did the best he could at the time. There's nothing so humbling in your opinion of your own parents as being a parent yourself, is there? I've been less than stellar at times in my life. I coped. I did the best I could. It allowed me to give him a measure of grace that led to forgiveness.
God doesn't 'cope'. His best is always best and not dependent upon how many other stressors are involved. He is a good God and He is a good Father.
We make little sacrifices, sharing a bar of chocolate when we really want it all to ourselves or missing a night's sleep with a sick child and then dragging off to work the next day. We do those things and think we deserve parent of the year. God loved his son but He loved US, children not his own but adopted into his family tree, so much that he gave the perfect sacrifice to show us the real meaning of love in this broken up dirty world we live in. Can we even comprehend what His Love looks like based on that?
1 comment:
You really hit so many good points in this post Terri.
The gist of course being that we can only do what we can...from where we are at...and try to keep in mind your excellent point that we all have our "less than stellar" moments. Should we choose to grow/learn from those moments...trying to not repeat them (too many times, ha)...then they transform into gifts of wisdom and...as a bonus...allow us more compassion and forgiveness towards others as they exhibit their own "less than stellar" moments.
Thanks so much for these posts, they are very valuable.
Love,
Tracey
XoX
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