Just As I Have Loved You

I love you mom.  I love you mommy.  You are the best mom I ever had.  You are so beautiful.  I met a new friend her name is Jaylee. 

This letter was written by my six year old foster child.  As she wrote this letter the judgmental side of me thought to myself, “the best mom ever?”.  The same mom who makes you cry every night when I am tucking you in because you miss her so much?  The same mom who made some poor choices putting you and your brothers in harms way?  The list can go on but you get my drift.  

As I swept my floor pondering this letter I was reminded of God’s love for us.  His love is pure and genuine.  Just like my beautiful foster child, His love is unconditional.  As I thought about the statement that my foster child said, “you are the best mom I ever had”.  I began to see that it doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do, it only matters who we are.  To her, her mother is beautiful and perfect and the best.  To the world she would seem as a bad mom.  To the world she may not deserve love and respect.  But to her daughter and her Father in heaven, she is beautiful and good.    

To God we are all loved as my foster child loves her absent mom.  We are all loved for who we are, His children.  God doesn’t love us for what we do or don’t do, and if you have a child of your own you know this kind of love.  The kind of love that proves true through any situation.  A love that has no boundaries.  A love that looks deep into the person past all of his or her faults. God loves us so dang much and He commands us to do the same for others.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment:  Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”  John 13:24  

Yes, He said just as He loves us....... Wow!  God doesn’t just ask us to love each other, the key in that phrase is to love just as He loves us!  Unconditionally, without judgement we should love everyone.  Our coworker with the annoying habits, the teacher who is mean, the husband who treats you like crap, the friend who has no compassion, the stranger who is addicted to drugs, and yes, the parent who abandons her children for over a year.  All of these, we are called to love.  Not just tolerate but love like God loves.  It won’t be easy.  It is hard getting past worldly views of people, but our God who loves unconditionally, commands us to. 

Dear God, thank you for filling us with Your love, that we may love like You.  Thank You for loving us unconditionally for who we are. Guide us this day into a deeper relationship with You learning more and more how to love well.

Amen    

** Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 12:10   

** Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.  Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  But anyone who does not love does not know God - For God is love.  (1 John 4:7-8)