Friday, October 3, 2014

For God so Loved . . .

Virginia snuggling with her cat, Henry

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

Recently, I take my granddaughter, Virginia Rose, to Chuck E. Cheese for a special outing.  For those of you unfamiliar with this establishment, it's every kid's paradise, bar none!  There are interactive games, some of which are actually fun for adults, where the better you play, the more tickets you can earn.  Before you depart for the day, those tickets can be traded in for prizes, none of which in my jaded, adult-sized eyes are worth having, but for Virginia, whose eyes are untried and unsullied, they are comparable to a pearl of great price.

Honestly, I'm dreading it.  I hear so many horror stories about the place from other parents and grandparents, I'm not expecting to have a great time.  And, I know better than to eat there since I do like my pizza at least a grade above cardboard.  However, as we visit on a weekday when most children, ages five and up, are in school, there are only a handful of kids, all well behaved, and our visit turns out to be one continuous round of fun and laughter.

Virginia and I play every game appropriate for her age, and many, more than once.  It is so gratifying to see her face light up when strings of tickets pour forth from the slots, especially when this Gammie helps her score higher than she would have on her own.  But, no game, no matter how appealing or tantalizing, can compete with an incomparable visit from Chuck E. Cheese himself!



As you can tell from this somewhat blurry photo (will I ever learn how to use my Iphone?), Virginia is dancing her heart out to Chuck E.'s theme song.  All the children are having a blast, and all, including Virginia, run to hug Chuck E. when the show is over.

After the affection fest, Virginia returns to my side, starry-eyed and grinning ear to ear.  "Chuck E. Cheese loves me," she proclaims.

"Of course, he does, sweetie," I say confidently.  "Chuck E. Cheese loves all the children.  So, does God.  He loves you, too!"

Yes!  Teachable moment!

And, then, right there, another thought . . .

Virginia has no concept of what it is to not feel loved, nor does she see herself as unlovable.  She is worthy to be loved and to love in return.  Her world is that of the little children to whom, Jesus told us, the kingdom of heaven belongs.

Innocent.  Accepting.  Trusting.  Faithful.

That's how God wants us, the ones with jaded and adult-sized eyes, to come to Him.

As a little child knowing she is loved.  He is loved.

Loved beyond measure by this omnipotent God who so loved the world, He gave His Son so that we can be called His children and heirs.

We are His.

We are loved.

That is sufficient.

~

Have you ever thought you were not loved or lovable?  How does knowing how much your Father in heaven loves you change your perspective?

Prayer:  Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your precious Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and give eternal life to all who believe in Him.  May we always know and take comfort in Your unending and grace-filled love for us.  Let us dance with abandon to celebrate the joy You constantly give us, and to convey that child-like, heaven-blessed and jubilant attitude to others.  In Jesus' name, amen. 


10 comments:

  1. Very cool when you can work in a life lesson for little ones. It never hurts to keep reminding oneself how much He does love us and that we are worthy.

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    1. Yes, we are worthy of His great love - oh, how I treasure knowing this! And, don't we all love those teachable moments when they arise? I know you certainly must, Kathy, with two young ones in your house. :)
      Love and blessings!

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  2. Another great post, Martha! Those "teachable" moments are so important no matter what a person's age is.

    I do struggle from time to time with being loved/not loved. It's about learning to accept love--love that is simply there with no strings attached. Likewise, in thinking about God the Father's love, I struggle. I have simply nothing to go on--yet, I know dads and daughters seem to have a bond that is special.

    I frequently pray for a better/deeper understanding of God's love for me.

    By the way, I LOVE the picture of Virginia and her kitty!

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Kim, I've heard so many folks tell me over the years that when they grew up either without a father/father figure, or their dads were abusive, it was difficult to grasp the concept of God as our loving Father. I know He's working on you, my friend, and waiting to give you those teachable moments along the way (you're so right - we can never outgrow these!).
      Glad you enjoyed the photo, too!
      Love and blessings!

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  3. That was a beautiful reminder Martha, as we grow up we tend to forget this ultimate truth. We are lovable, we are loved - and at times reminders like this post make us feel loved too <3

    Thank you so much for writing this one!

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    1. Glad it made you feel loved, dear Privy. It is healthy for us to remember daily how much God loves us even when we feel unlovable.
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Children are awesome examples of God and His love. I learn so much about God through my son. You're right, currently he has no concept of not being loved. My heart breaks for the little children who have that innocents shattered. All I can do is trust God to love them more than people ever can.
    He truly loves us all.

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    1. Thank you for your most thoughtful comment, TC! Yes, our children have so much to teach us about God's love. I, too, feel so sad for the little ones who suffer from lack of love in their precious lives. I pray with you that God surrounds them in His arms of love and grace.
      Love and blessings!

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  5. Martha, Thank you so much for this reminder of His love today. You also made me smile thinking about the things we will do for our grandchild that we would never dream of doing otherwise. How our Heavenly Father blesses us with those precious little ones. :-)

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    1. Yes, it's true, Deb - what we do for grandchildren is so different from what we did when our own children were young. :) Glad the post reminded you of God's unending love for us.
      Love and blessings!

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