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“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

My youngest son, Type A, highly competitive, 5 years old, is in a competition with me to see who loves each other more. Him. or me. Of course, in his mind he has to win. And, I’m completely torn: “Should he win this competition or should he lose?” This competition goes something like this: I’ll say, “I sure do love you!” and he says, “Not as much as I love you!” To which I might say, “Well, I love you has high as the highest mountain! Widest ocean! Fastest river!” Without hesitation he responds, confident that he will smack down the competition and lock in the win, “I love you from here to the moon! From here to end of the universe times 100 million and 46 and 127 and more than the whole entire universe.” There. That’s done. I’ve won, you’ve lost. Let’s move on, I can read all over his expression. But, then, I drop a strategic bomb: “I love you first. I love you best.” To which he rolls his eyes dramatically, lowers his head and looks at me in what I can only suspect he imagines must be his most menacing stare and, tiger-like, snarls matter-of-factly (comedically!) Dad. My love is bigger than yours. I love you more than you love me. And you will NEVER be able to catch up to me!” His mood instantly changes to one of gleeful victory “BOOM! You didn’t see that coming! I win. You lose!” And then he jumps in my arms and snuggles with me, in a great big bear-hug, tackling me to the ground sort of snuggle. And I whisper in his ear, “You win, buddy! Your love is amazing! I hope I can learn to love you the way you love me. Thanks…” His reply? “No problem dad. It’s what I do. Your my dad. I’m your son. And I will ALWAYS love you and you will NEVER win!”

The child’s song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…” reminds me of this ‘love you’ competition between my son and I. God speaks to you and he speaks to me, “I love you so much!”

An spiritual author from another century wrote, “Only by love is love awakened.” Love for God, for others, for His created works, none of this can be forced. Nor does He force. Rather, He has gone far, far out of his way to say, “I love you from here to the moon! From here to end of the universe times 100 million and 46 and 127 and more than the whole entire universe. I love you from heaven to the cross and back again!”

As our own children grow up and individuate (struggle to become their own individuals) sometimes they make one or two minor decisions we don’t agree with. (In actuality, they make large, profound, life altering decisions which often do not reflect the values we did our best to raise them with). And, we feel like failures. Yet, this process is necessary and natural, and yes, painful.

God went through this with Adam and Eve as they individuated in the Garden. They listened to outside influences and were led down a self-destructing path which was excruciating for our Creator, our heavenly parents, to watch and allow.

Somehow, He didn’t panic. He didn’t ground Adam and Eve or put them in time-out from here to the end of eternity to protect them. He didn’t force them to see the world from His perspective; didn’t force them to make only good decisions. He loved them enough to allow them the freedom to make their own way in this world, even if it was painful and had consequences that they were too young to fully appreciate the consequences of. For, it is not by might, nor by power…nor by force, but by My Spirit, only by My love, will love be awakened.

The parental love that God has for us is overwhelming! That He, after all the pain we have caused Him; our rejection, our 1/2 hearted overtures to Him, and the million other cuts we have knifed into His heart…He still lavishes His love upon us and continues to call us His children! Amazing!!

“Thank you, our Father which art in heaven for loving me with a love so big it can’t be measured. Thank you for illustrating the length, depth, and height of your love in the precious gift and sacrifice of your precious Son, Jesus. Thank you for continuing to keep the light on for me, welcoming me to your home, to your dinner table, to your heart!“