A Father's Love

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17

The image I have in my mind when I read this scripture is that of a big, strong father holding his newborn child. The child is upset, the father is soothing the child patiently and gazing at this tiny, angry bundle with absolute adoration.

Infinite patience, immeasurable love, complete joy.

My patience is never what I want it to be. I was always asking God for help with patience until I read an article in which the mother being interviewed said that when we pray for patience, God gives us situations in which we can practice our patience. Not exactly what I was asking for! I have found myself to be more patient as the years pass, so maybe by the time I'm 70, I will have the patience required to raise a family! But patience is a kind of faith. It is faith that the next moment can be better than this one, and so if we can hold on just one more moment, and then another, then we may experience the patience we have asked for.

Our love for our children can be overwhelming. I remember looking at Kate as a newborn and feeling like my heart had grown too big for my chest. I just loved this little wonder so much, it didn't seem possible that there was room in my heart for anything else. And then Brooke came along and there was even more! I think of my own mother and father, who love me, but still fail me at times. We are told that as much as we love our children, God loves us even more. How comforting to know that even when our parents are incapable of soothing our hurts, God's love will sustain us.

We sing a lot at our house and we always have. My mom made up little songs all the time about whatever we were doing, and I have done the same thing with my girls. Now Kate does it, too. We just love to sing! When we find ourselves singing is usually when we are at our happiest. Reading that God rejoices over me with singing again brings to mind the delighted parent, just pleased as punch with His beautiful children. He watches us with delight as we make our way through life and sings at the moments when we bring Him joy, when we are living our lives to His glory and raising our children to follow Him.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:16-19

What makes you sing? How can you be an example of God's love in the life of someone who needs it? What can you do to be more patient with your spouse, your children, or yourself?