Love and Faithfulness

John 3:16(NIV)
“For God so loved the world the he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Psalm 36:5(NIV)

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,your faithfulness to the skies.

I was struck yesterday by the love of family.  I was so blessed yesterday to spend some time with a dear friend, her mom and her sisters to do a little holiday shopping in Chicago.  I was reflecting on the love between them, enjoying the laughter and ease at which they interacted, and the simple pleasure of being in the company of their love for one another. This is Family. Stories were shared, nicknames laughed about, and joy abounded as they spent time together.  What a beautiful picture of love, of family history, and the importance of remembering the stories of our past. A deep love of a mother for her children, who are of course grown, but she made sure not to loose any of us, always checking to be sure we were accounted for.  Each of us yesterday were mothers who would sacrifice anything for our children, a deep primal love.

I believe that is the same level of love God has for each one of us.  Deeply connected, primal, protective and fierce.  A sacrificial love so deep that God sent his only son, Jesus as the gift for us.  Jesus to restore us, heal us, and make us whole. A Father who knows so much about us, every little intimate detail, and desires our love and affection in return.  Wants us to share the stories of our lives with others. Because it’s in the sharing, the remembering and reflecting back, we can see God’s faithfulness in our lives. 

Thinking of the Bible, I began to realize that it represents the story of our lives.  The Bible being the true story of redemption and reconciliation for the world. A family history of God’s creation and the history of His presence in the the lives of mankind. What a great source of joy the Bible is to see such examples of God’s faithfulness, his work, his ultimate sacrificial love. All the pieces, put together to make the bigger picture of wholeness.  

Will you take a moment to reflect back on your life? Can you see God’s faithfulness, his presence, his protection?  Do you share your life stories with your children? Why not start a new holiday tradition and share a story from your past and allow for deeper intimacy in your families. 

If you have a moment, here is a beautiful song by Third Day on YouTube called Your Love Oh Lord:
Will you take a moment and view it. I pray it blesses your day.

http://youtu.be/QEF7IoQ3eUk