By Karen Y. Stevens

 

The Bible is full of analogies, and examples of love.  God gives us analogies every day that we can learn from if we just pay attention.

I’m watching my grandson today, and he is so precious to me already.  He is only 2 ½ months old, and he has already taken over my husband and I’s hearts.

I thought about how God thinks of us when we are first born, physically and spiritually.  God’s love is pure, unconditional love.

I like the 1967 song “Love is all around” by “The Troggs”. The chorus goes like this: “You know I love you, I always will, My mind’s made up by the way that I feel, There’s no beginning, there’ll be no end, ‘Cause on my love you can depend.”

Even though that is a secular song, it still reminds me of God every time I hear it.  “…There’ll be no end.”  What great words, for love.

You cannot, one hundred percent believe that with people, but you can with God.

And then those great words in the last verse – “on my love you can depend.”  We can depend on God’s love.

I know we have all had bad things happen in our lives.  People confuse bad things happening to them, to God’s love.  Sometimes it’s subconscious, and we don’t realize we are blaming God for something.  We need to think of things we can really relate to, in order to think straight.

For example, just because something bad happens in our kid’s lives, does not mean we don’t love them, or they can’t depend on us.

Most people think – “Well, God could prevent the bad things.”

We as parents could prevent all bad things if we want to bubble wrap our kids, and keep them locked in their room.  God is not going to lock us in our rooms.  He gives us freedom, which comes with risk.

Anytime I’m watching Waylon, I try to figure out what he needs, and then wish he would hurry up and speak.  I want him to tell me what he wants because I want him to be happy.

I think God is waiting for us to speak.  He is waiting on us to tell Him what we want or need, so He can make us happy.  (There’s a “but” coming.)  You know the old saying, “Be careful what you pray for; God might give it to you.”

Sometimes God gives us our desires because we are so headstrong, and we’re not listening to Him, but He loves us enough to let us grow thru that desire.  He wants to make us happy, (another “but” coming) – Don’t confuse God as your magic genie.  God’s first desire is to complete good things in our life, just like we want our children to develop.  We must give them the right things, to develop these good qualities, and the greatest of these is love.  (1 Corinthians 13:13).

So, don’t pray for patience, pray for love.  Don’t pray for wealth, pray for joy.  Don’t pray for revenge, pray for kindness.  If you pray for these things, God will give them to you, and the fruit of these things is love.  You can have love all around you.

 

 

Karen Y. Stevens is the founder of Orange County Christian Writers Guild