Teardrops rain from the corner of her eye. Slowly they fall at first, trickling down her cheek. Then they pour down in different directions, grazing every dry patch of skin. She wears dark glasses–not to shield her eyes from the sun but to shield her tears from her son who sits in the passenger seat, recording the moment in his journal.
Driving away is like prying a large mass from her heart, stinging like a fresh bandage being ripped away from a child’s scab. Her daughter’s screams are but faint murmurs as the car gains momentum, and Mom knows she will be okay. For the first time in a long time, Mom knows her daughter will be okay.
This is the story of a mother who has placed her daughter in the care of medical professionals. With a mother’s loving support, they will meet her physical needs, help her dig through her emotions, and lead her back to the only one who can truly heal her–Jesus Christ.
Mom has to tell herself over and over again that this is the right decision. She stands firm in what God has told her to do, but it is still a heart-wrenching choice. Yet she knows blessings she could never dream of will spring forth from her obedience. After all, God is the Creator, she the created. Jesus is the Savior, she the saved.
You may hear of stories like this and wonder: how could a mother leave her child like that? How could she trust strangers to help one born from her own womb?
The only way a mother can make such a difficult decision is through God’s guidance. Sometimes, decisions of obedience are difficult. Yet God guides us as He guided His own Son to Calvary.
Are you in the midst of pain and suffering right now? Even during the most difficult times, God wants you to know He loves you. He sent His Son to the Cross for you, your family, the yet unborn, the people across the street, and the people across the ocean, whom you have never met. All because of His deep, abiding love.
It’s a love we struggle to understand, to hold onto–especially when our hearts are breaking. But it’s those breaking times that God uses to show us more of His amazing love. When we open ourselves up to what God wants us to learn, He broadens our view of Him. We know that He is not a harsh taskmaster of a God, but one who walks with us through the fire and comforts us along the journey.
But do we really–in the depths of our hearts–understand that God is love? The Bible says “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and “God is Light” (1 John 1:5). These truths exhibit God’s characteristics: He is not limited by time and space; neither is He hindered by unrighteousness. He is holy. The Bible also tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). God is not simply God of spirit, of light, and of love–His very character is each of these. God’s very nature is love that is:
· Not influenced by anything outside Himself . Nothing you and I do or don’t do affects His love. His love for us is based solely on Himself.
· To be experienced and not fully understood . The depth of God’s love is unsearchable to mankind. (Psalm 145:3) Our lifetime pursuits on earth will never “get to the bottom” of God’s love. Yet He lavishes love upon us and allows us to experience it personally.
· Eternal . There is never, and never will be, a time when God stops expressing His love toward us. We sometimes struggle to express our love when we disagree or do not understand, but God never struggles to love. Our sin, our lack of prayer, our imperfections–none of it ever has or ever will impede the love God has for us.
· Holy . God sees every ounce of wickedness in us, but He does not stop loving us for it. He loves us through it. His discipline and allowance of tests in our lives is an expression of His holy love. He cannot, will not, allow us to continue in darkness. His goal is to make us into the image of Christ, and in order to do this, He will stop at nothing to show us His love–even allow His only Son to be falsely charged, convicted, and sentenced to death.
Why is it important to know God’s love? Because knowing His love is crucial to accepting it. If you have never asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, He longs for you to let go of darkness and embrace the hope that His light offers.
It’s crucial to accept God’s love even after you’ve asked Jesus into your heart and life. When you go through difficulties, when you stumble and sin, God wants you to know He is with you–in fact, He is in you.
God wants nothing more than for you to turn to Him and accept all expressions of His love. This is why Jesus wept in Gethsemane, why He walked to Calvary, why He suffered at the Cross, why He was buried behind the stone, and why He rose from the grave. To express God’s unending love.
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