For years, my mother’s home was always filled with children.  She has many grandchildren and at one point she was an emergency foster care provider.  At any given time, she could have two to ten children at her feet.  No matter how many kids were vying for her attention, my mother made each one feel special.  One day she scooped my daughter, who was 3 years old at the time and quite the instigator, up out of a crowd of bickering munchkins.  My mom held my daughter close and rocked her and then looked into her chubby little face and said, “I love you”.  My daughter responded with disbelief and confusion.  She looked around at all the other children then back at my mother and said, “You love me?”  My mom held her tighter and said, “Yes honey, I love you.”  After a few moments of silent reflection my daughter grabbed my mother’s face and said, “Grandma, I love you!” And then she jumped down and played happily with the other children.

Whenever I remember this precious story, I begin to think of the very moment God scooped me up out of the crowd and told me He loved me.  I couldn’t believe it at first; I mean, what did I ever do that God should love me?  But, He held me closer and assured me that He loved me.  He even sent his Son to die for me.  I eventually began to know for sure that God did in fact love me and I began to respond back to Him with love.  And I show my love for God by showing love to others.

“This is real love-- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.  Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”  (1 John 4:10, 11)

May you spend some time reflecting on God’s love for you each day and then love Him back by showing love to those around you.