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Gods
Love,
True
love
February – especially one, particular day in February -- is a time to celebrate love.
Valentine’s Day brings in top sales for grocery stores, and they plan well in advance for it. Yes, I partake in the joy of giving my husband and children cards and a box of chocolates. And I always love to get a dozen roses to display on our kitchen table. What woman doesn’t?
All of this is nice and fun, but it only scratches the surface of real love. I have had the honor to be married to a wonderful guy for almost 20 years, and we are raising three busy children -- including a pre-teen. My husband works long hours at a demanding job and I work full-time along with being a taxi for the kids, helping with homework, shuttling them to sports and all the other things that mommies do.
Life gets busy and love gets pushed down to those moments we pass each other with a quick kiss and “I love you.”
When I step back and look at our life, I realize how blessed I am that we have a foundation to stand strong upon, one of true love: Gods love. Many couples lose sight of each other during these challenging times of raising children and struggling with pressures to maintain job security. It’s hard times for so many families, and my heart aches for them.
Jeremiah 29:11-12 tells us “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.” (NIV)
I take this promise in the Bible to heart. During challenging times, I know who’s got my back. Can I hear an “Amen,” ladies?!
I find
my true
foundation
in God’s
love in
the book
of Titus
(3:4-5):
But when
the
kindness
and love
of God
our
Savior
appeared,
he saved
us, not
because
of
righteous
things
we had
done,
but
because
of his
mercy.
He saved
us
through
the
washing
of
rebirth
and
renewal
by the
Holy
Spirit.
Wow! I
sit back
in awe
of God’s
grace
and
mercy,
knowing
all too
well
that I
don’t
always
deserve
it.
I have to work hard at times to remind myself in the heat of the moment to extend mercy and grace to others through love, even when I feel frustrated. This can be a daily challenge with a pre-teen. Christ loves us and gives us the strength we need during those times. Remembering how God loves us and helps us reminds us how to love those we care about the most -- all the time, not just one day of the year.
Ask yourself;
Do I find myself loving my spouse and children with grace?
Do I extend mercy to my family?
The New Testament word that is usually translated "grace" is the Greek charis (χαρις), which literally means "that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness."
Mercy, Wikipedia tells us, is a word used to describe compassion shown by one person to another.
Today's prayer-
Dear
Lord,
We come
before
you with
hearts
full of
gratitude
for the
grace
and
mercy
you give
us every
moment
of every
day.
Please
show us
how to
be
mothers
and
wives
that
extend
your
ever-loving
compassion
to our
families
with the
same
grace
and
mercy
you have
been so
faithful
to give
us. You
know the
challenges
we face
today,
and Lord
we lay
them at
your
feet,
knowing
that
nothing
is too
great
for you
to
handle.
In
Christ,
Amen
