It used to be a game my children played before bed each night. Something to postpone that eventual moment when I would say goodnight to them and turn out the lights. At first the names were few- mum, dad, brothers, a sister, grandparents. But as my children’s worlds expanded and their social contacts grew, so did their lists- now including friends, extended family members, teachers. Pets began to be included, favoured toys and once even my son’s precious soccer ball. Anything to delay the moment when the light was switched off and the cosy moment ended.
One night I asked “But who do you love the most?” My son, without a second’s hesitation said “God.” Now that could have been the answer you may have been expecting…but for me it was totally unexpected. I expected my beautiful 6 year old son to say that I was. That it was me who was the most important person in his life- the one he loved most. He rarely left my side and we did everything together. I was the one who nursed him through severe reflux, multiple ear infections. It was me who took him everywhere he needed to go, cleaned up after him, nurtured him, comforted him when he cried. But it was God he loved the most? Our family was not a Christian family. We never attended church; never spoke about God. How did this little boy know who He was? How had he come to know Him well enough to say that he loved God more than me? I was so hurt and confused.
For a long time after that we didn’t play the ‘Who do you love’ game. I bought some new books and we started a new routine, sang some favourite songs instead.
A few years passed and my son began attending children’s church activities on his own initiative. Soon after he led me to Christ. He was 12 years old. As I grew to know the Christ that he seemed to know about by instinct, I began to love and trust Him because of the love He showed me.
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”~ Romans 5:8
I came to see the God that my son knew. Came to know that I also loved Him the most. Came to understand that He is the one that I must always seek first. Came to know that until I loved God the most, I would never be empowered to love others in the way that God wants us to love them. Until I love Him first, I will never be supernaturally empowered to love the world unconditionally as He requires of me.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”~ Ephesians 3: 16-20
© 2011 Giving Thanks Daily, Sue King
Web: http://shawnsgivingthanksdaily.blogspot.com/
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