God has loved us and does love us and will love us with a fatherly love that is so perfect we can't even fully comprehend it because we do not know how to love perfectly in this flesh. He has made us His own children, His beloved.
Yes, sometimes in His infinite wisdom He sees fit to let us suffer, but this is not to punish us. It is not because He is cruel. Our Lord and Father in Heaven knows what we need and He desires for us to grow closer to Him, for us to know His love, for us to recognize His voice. He sees the big picture and sometimes what looks like a harsh restriction or a painful loss is actually a protection, a redirection, that can put our feet back on the right path toward goodness and wholeness.
Has anyone ever desired anything so badly and felt that God was withholding it from them? Has there ever been a goal that you've worked tirelessly for and then right as it is in your grasp, it slips through your fingertips? Has anyone felt the loss of a relationship or dreams they have held on to? Have you ever been blindsided by a tragedy in your life that you never saw coming? Have you ever doubted God in these times or resisted His goodness and His protection?
I was out at the commissary yesterday with my three girls, and there were no "car carts" available so I had a regular cart, and I put the two-year-old in the seat part, and my six-year-old and four-year-old walked through the store with me. On the way back to the car, I was getting the girls situated and putting groceries into the trunk, when my four-year-old changed her course from heading to her side of the car, to walking out into the parking lot. And as I watched her wander into the open street, I saw a Cadillac on its way toward her. So out of my love and desire to protect her, I grabbed her by the arm of her jacket and pulled her back into me between the cars where she was safe. Immediately, she pulled away from me, trying to continue her course for destruction. I of course, did not let her go, but pulled harder and firmly grasped her so that she could not pull away. I told her she could not go into the parking lot and that a car was coming, and she insisted angrily with me that she was not headed for the parking lot (although clearly she was) and that there were no cars coming that she could see. And in that moment, I was ok with her being mad at me. I could see the big picture and she couldn't. Out of my love for her and my ability to see what could happen if she continued in that direction, I used the power I had to protect her and re-direct her to me, to where she was safe from harm.
If I can see that as a mother, that I am willing for my child to be angry with me so that I can protect her, even when she doesn't see the problem, then I can only imagine what it must be like from God's perspective when He looks on us and the predicaments we can get ourselves in. It might not be on purpose, and we may believe whatever we are doing is the good thing, the right thing, but we also might not see the car coming. God sees it all. He knows all. He sees where we are headed and He is willing and able to use any means necessary to get us on the right path back to Him where we are safe. He's even willing to risk us being mad at Him.
This is love without compromise. This is the love of God that the world doesn't understand. This is perfect, fatherly love that is holding on to us even when we are pulling away. This fatherly love that is willing to withhold good things to get us to the great things. Our Father knows that pain and suffering are important tools to grow His children and that discipline is not done out of harshness and punishment, but out of love and wisdom. Our Lord does not want us to suffer forever, but sometimes its our suffering in this life that will bring us to a place where we can trust God more, that we are willing to let go of some things, and be more free to love God and love others.
And when we understand How God loves us, how He is not afraid if we get angry with Him because He cares for us so much, we can learn to love others with a similar love. We can be better mothers when we see that telling our children, "no" once in a while is not a bad thing, and discipline teaches them that we love them because we do not allow them to grow into disobedient, disrespectful adults. We can be better friends because we might find the courage to have a difficult talk with someone - at the risk of them becoming angry or offended, but we care about their well-being more than how they feel about us in that moment. And we can realize that God never gives up on us, so we should never give up on Him. When we truly realize that it is our sin - all of our sins - that put Jesus on the cross, and He still willingly died for all of us - that there are people who will never choose Him, that spit in His face daily, but He still died for them as well. That is a love without compromise. Who am I to question God when He tells me no? Who am I to doubt His love and care and protection for me when He pulls me away from something I'm after? Don't I know that His uncompromising love is perfect and good? Don't I know that He is the God that has thoughts nothing like my thoughts and ways far above my ways? Don't I believe that His plans for me are beyond what I can see and that He knows better?
And, can I love others like this? Can I put their needs before my own? Can I risk them being mad at me to help re-direct them to where it is safe? Can I put down my own wants and desires to just be there for someone who needs me? Can I choose love over sin? Mercy over judgement? Can I give all I have to help others? Can I lay down my life for my friends? For my neighbors? My co-workers? My husband? My kids? Can I lay down my life for the one who laid down His life for me? Can I love without compromise?
Read: 1 John 5
Heavenly Father,
Lord our God you are amazing. You are wonderful and awesome. Nothing compares to you. When we look to you, all of the troubles of this Earth melt away because you are good and you are love and you are not of this world. We are thankful that you have loved us with an everlasting love. We thank you that your mercy is sufficient for us, that in our weakness, your strength is perfected and your ways prevail, and no matter what we do to try to pull away from you, you are holding on to us. Your word says that you will be with us until the end, and we ask that you help us to always remember that you are with us. Help us to look for your wonderful face in times of tragedy, in times of pain, and help us to also look to you and rejoice in times of gladness. Father grow us in our faith so that we do not despair when things don't go how we would like, but we are encouraged because we know you have a better plan. Help us to believe in your uncompromising love and make us fit to show that kind of love to those around us. Make us fearless, remind us that we have the Lord of Heaven's armies covering us in His mighty wings. Help us to love you without compromise, help us to love others without compromise. Keep us away from anything that might take your place in our hearts. Be among us today as we study your word and fellowship with one another. Keep us filled with your Holy Spirit, and bless us to be Holy and righteous before you. Thank you for this group of women, and for the chapel and this ministry. I pray that you would take what is done here and multiply it beyond what we can see. Thank you for loving us without compromise. In Jesus' Holy name we pray, Amen.
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