Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Dear God,

I wore my funny, colorful court jester hat while I waited for my granddaughters at the bottom of the airport escalator steps.  I had my camera around my neck ready to catch on film the first look of them for their photo albums.  A smile broke out on all three of our faces when they saw me.  I wrapped them in a big bear hug crying out, "Welcome home!"

I am glad when I think of the ways you weave love together, love for a husband or wife, love for a sibling, mother, father, aunts, uncles, cousins, children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, and even strangers.  You develop in us a respect and appreciation of others.  You warm us toward others and give us the ability to bless one another in a variety of ways.  Throughout the years love remains even after those with whom we share a relationship dies.  My love for my grandmother continues year after year although she has been dead for almost thirty years.

When I reflect upon this kind of love, I realize your divine love is far greater.  Your love surpasses human love.  It grows deeper and wider, a kind of bottomless and topless love, never meant to be contained.  It reaches out for each one of us.  It is never the kind that loves one better than another. Like my grandmother used to tell us, "I love you all the same," when we would ask her who she loved the most.  We are each your favorite.

Such love calls for a human response.  Do we love you back?  Do we do simple gestures to prove our love for you?  Are we kinder to others because we are grateful for your love? 

What I have discovered is your love for me calls me to love others more.  I love my grandchildren more because you love me.  In one of your great challenges to me, you told me to pray daily for those who do not like me.  Even though it was difficult to lift them in love to you in prayer, you urged me to remain steadfast in daily prayer.  What I learned is we can grow to love those who hate us because your love makes up for love lost.  Your love makes all the difference!

Gracious God,
thank you
for gentle reminders
and even
heavy-handed requests.
Thank you
for loving us always.
Teach us continually
how to
love others unconditionally,
I pray.

Love, Andrea