Simple Love

Have you ever had one of your children give you a gift of love, totally unprompted and unsolicited?  My little brother once went hunting for a gift for my mom on Mother’s Day.  He was not old enough to buy anything on his own, but he wanted a gift for her.  No one told him to, he wanted to express his love in his way.  He set out that morning with a large corn knife (supervised with the knife don’t worry – farm kids know how to handle corn knives) to the wild timber (small scale forest) across our driveway and found mom her cherished gift.  There is a picture of this event that is often pulled out and laughed over.  There is my brother, dressed in an old sweatshirt, very colorful Bermuda shorts of the 80’s, and his cowboy boots, corn knife in one hand, large wildflower in the other (I think it was a thistle), a giant smile spread across his face.  The outfit is hilarious, the corn knife is as long as his arm, and the gift he is holding out (the weed) is almost as big as he is.  But that gift, that effort, that moment, will never be forgotten.  It is love, love poured out, love simplified.  If he had bought her diamond earrings, they would be forgotten by now, that thistle will never be forgotten.  That thistle was a childish, unabashed, simplistic, unadorned love offering to his beloved mother!

That is what God wants from us.  Luke 18:16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me.  Do not stop them!  For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these little children.  I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”  God wants our love, childish, unabashed, simplistic, and unadorned.  Just our love for him, our worship, our praise.  It doesn’t need trumpet calls, shouts, perfect clothes and jewelry, just our love.  God wants us to come to him and talk to him.  Just like we want our children to come to us when they have problems or joys, we want them to communicate with us.  Philippians 4:6-7  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

God, our Father in Heaven, wants the same thing.  He wants us to share our joys and sorrows, God wants to be an intricate part of our live as we wish to be in our children’s lives.  We want them to trust us, because we know what is best – he wants us to trust him, because he knows what is best.  Proverbs 20:24  The Lord directs our steps, to why try to understand everything along the way?

We want our kids to know we will always be there for them – God wants us to have faith, to know he will always be there for us.  Psalm 50:15  Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.

We want our kids to come to us for comfort when they are afraid or sad– God wants us to come to him for comfort when we are afraid or sad.  Isaiah 41:10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you.  Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up in my victorious right hand.

Matthew 11:28 - 30  Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

 

He wants us to worship him, love him, and offer him our gifts without being prompted or told – just as we want our kids to show their love without being told. 

Psalm 139 9:10  If I ride  the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hands will guide me, and your strength will support me.

GIVE PRAISE!!  GOD IS GOOD!!