Love Like None Other

Where has the time gone? We are on the third to the last chapter of An Untroubled Heart. Chapter 10 is "Love of a Father".

What greater display of human love than the disciplinary moment Micca described between her three year old son and her husband Pat. Mitch was angry, hurt, scared and yelled "you're not my dad." I can imagine Pat's hurt as he did not biologically parent Mitch. Yet, Pat responded with such love and grace. "You can hate me if you want, but I will always love you. You're my son. I will never leave you." He mimicked the words of our Heavenly Father. Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5b "A true dad also cares enough to discipline his son." That is exactly what Pat was doing with Mitch. That is exactly what God does with us. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:5-6

Micca reaffirms that we should "be confident that nothing can snatch us away from Him [God]." 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. Romans 8:38-39 Not death. Not life. Not angels. Not demons. Not present. Not future. Not powers. Not height. Not depth. Not anything.

I don't struggle so much with this but rather fighting to not base His love on what He does. My heart and flesh try to measure His love by how He answers my godly desires. I know He loves me despite my sins and mistakes; however, I can still feel shameful that those actions disappointed Him at one time.

"We let our affection for God grow dim when we experience unexpected troubles or sorrows." Guilty. g.u.i.l.t.y. Write it across my forehead. Put a letter G on my chest. That is me. I am. Hand raised. Head nodding.

I have adamantly expressed that I believe whole heartedly the Christian life is characterized by trials. We are never "free" of them. None of us are exempt. Christ Himself suffered trials and temptations and burdens. There is scripture after scripture after scripture to substantiate this.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
1 Thessalonians 3:3
So that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.
James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.
1 Peter 1:6
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
2 Thessalonians 1:4
Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Despite this, we can still surmise that during those times God has taken His hand off us and we question His love. We doubt His concern for us. We doubt His involvement in the details. We doubt His presence in our lives. Yet..."God, and what He allows into our lives, is motivated by one thing: love." Grasp that. I must. I must stop and believe that He's allowed the worst pain in the depths of my heart and soul because of His love. Love for me. That is His only motivation. That does bring me comfort in the oddest of ways because I know He would only allow this if He could and will make good from it.

Through each hurdle, each stride, each triumph, God is shaping my character. He is strengthening my faith. His goal is a transformed heart. A transformed life. A transformed character. I believe in that. I trust in that when I continue to ask: Why God? When God? How long God? I know each moment, each day, each trial, each hurdle, He is transforming me into His likeness. He is using my brokenness and transforming it into His beauty.

"But broken is always the right place to be when we're reaching out for Christ's love and forgiveness." Let me be broken if it means enveloping His love, like none other.

Soaking up the Father's Love,

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