You Are Loved

Parenting is fun. When you have a child, you place all your hopes and dreams into this one little being. Then, one day… they begin to talk.

At the tender age of three, my very frustrated son on the verge of a temper tantrum turned to me and screamed:

“I hate you, Mommy!”

I too, being frustrated really wanted to reply with the same phrase, but hesitated. At that passion filled moment, I did not like the actions of my young son, but I still loved him. So, I replied with a joyful:

“But, I love YOU!”

My gentle reply angered my son even more. He replied, “I HATE you, Mommy!” even louder. With which I replied, “But, I LOVE you!”

This circular argument went back and forth until we both ended up giggling and giving each other a hug.

I had this same conversation with God many times.

My father died of pancreatic cancer when I was just 20 years old and I knew I would never have him join me for the momentous events of my life. He wouldn’t see me graduate from college, walk me down the aisle at my wedding, or see his beautiful grandchildren. I remember jumping on his grave in grief with my fists in the air yelling at God, “I hate you!” But He responded. A stranger in the cemetery saw my grief. She walked up to me and gave me a hug and stated, “But God loves you.”

We must remind ourselves that however old we are, we are still God’s children with whom He loves unconditionally.

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

1 John 3:1