If you’re reading this, you’re probably a parent. And no matter how you became a parent, chances are there was some sort of waiting involved. My husband and I had been on the path to adoption for three years when we learned we were pregnant.
We were beyond excited. We’d ventured down the fertility route for many years. Knowing that a child was growing within me was sometimes more than I could handle. We eagerly planned every detail. The colors of the room. The furniture. The name. We couldn’t wait to hold our little bundle. Our little miracle baby.
And then he arrived. On May 10, 2007, our son joined the world. I thought my heart would burst out of my chest from the love I felt for that little bundle who did nothing, could not contribute anything, who owned nothing, and had nothing to give … yet gave us so much.
Think about it. Children take, take, take. They need to be fed all hours of the night. They need constant diaper changes. They cry. They wake you up. They whine. They throw fits and scream. They are incapable of giving anything in return for the hours of missed sleep, the thousands of diapers changed, and the money spent. Yet, your heart bursts with love when they look into your eyes, and you never forget the moment they smile for the first time. Your heart skips a beat each time they see something new in wonder. As I write this on my laptop next to my son’s bed, he stares at me and I feel the love that was overwhelming while I waited. The love that grew exponentially when I first held him. The love that grows every day.
Where’s the lesson in all this? It’s in the love. John 3:16. We’ve heard it a hundred times. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. God loves me, God loves you, even more than we love our children.
How is that possible? We have nothing to offer back. We’re like babies. We cry. We whine. We throw fits. We need God to clean up our messes. Over the last nine years my son has required so much more from me than even those early days of diapers and midnight feedings. Yet my love for him never lessens.
God in Heaven, the Father of All, loves us more perfectly, and it’s not because we did or do anything for it. It’s simply because we belong to Him. And He awaits our arrival in accepting Him just as we await the arrival of our children. He plans every detail with purpose just like we do. But His love is perfect. He never fails us. He never loses his patience with us. He never raises his voice. He doesn’t send us to our rooms. When we need discipline, He loves us with steady love in the process.
That’s the first and most important lesson I learned as a mom. Above all else, His love never fails. And when we know His love never fails for us, it changes our outlook on everything, including how I parent my son. No matter what he does, I love him, but not nearly to the degree and nowhere as perfectly as the way God loves me. As far as the East is from the West, He throws our sins and mistakes. How much more love is possible?
If you are struggling as a mom, it can be overwhelming and social media doesn’t help our cause. Please call us. Coming to talk with one of us isn’t an indicator of weakness. It’s an indicator that you’re human, and you’re ready to make some sort of change. We’re here for you, moms. Call today.
Read more about April and our counselors here.