VALENTINE'S DAY...
The Day of Love is almost upon us. Ignoring all the hype by Hershey's, Hallmark, and FTD, I love this holiday because yeah, I'm a romantic. This year once again, I'm indescribably thankful for my wonderful first-and-only love, wife & best friend, Donna. We're closing in on 34 years of marriage and we keep saying, "The best is yet to come."
It didn't take us very long to fall in love and figure out that we wanted those first few dates to transition into a lifetime together. But there was that moment when you think, "Whoa... I think this is it... this is the one. But I am I sure?" The answer was a quick and certain "yes," of course, but the question did arise.
However...
BIRTH DAYS...
...it's different with children (and, as we now have experienced, with grandchildren.) I typed a space in "birth days" on purpose. I'm taking about the day they are born, not the annual cake-and-ice cream event. With children and grandchildren, the love is instantaneous. On the day... no, the very moment of their birth, you love them. Totally. Unconditionally. No questions asked! I remember with Elisa, and then with Bethy, and now with Max, the moment I laid eyes on them, my heart was theirs forever. I may not have verbalized it at the moment, but I would have said, "I love you... forever, no matter what. No matter what you are like or what you do, I will love you with all my heart forever."
It's amazing, because you see, I am not a guy who is "into" babies. In fact, I am more overtly not into babies. But when the baby happened to be my daughter... or my grandson, everything was different. I was into them. Totally. Didn't have to date them or get to know them, didn't have to think about it. It was truly love at first sight.
The love for a child or grandchild... it's instant, unconditional love. Obsession almost, in some ways.
Of course, as a human father, I have loved imperfectly, as strong as my love was and as hard as I've tried.
Of course, as a human father, I have loved imperfectly, as strong as my love was and as hard as I've tried.
AND GOD IS OUR FATHER...
Thinking on all this put gave me some fresh insights into how God our Father loves us.... unconditionally, fully, no questions asked, no need to spend time with us to make up his mind. And he even loved us from eternity past, before that "day of birth." Wow. And he demonstrated his love in a way that no earthly parent or grandparent can match.
I'd never thought about Calvary and Easter in conjunction with Valentine's Day before, but when you stop and consider what God has done... it is the greatest love story of all time, isn't it?
Let's share it...
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