My Sarah in Oxford
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“If I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or clanging symbol.” -1 Cor. 13
I never knew my children would be so different — from each other, from Clay, and especially from me. This means that I haven’t always seen things from their perspective, or understood their choices. Our tastes might vary, our preferences can be unique. It is not always easy to love. That doesn’t mean our children aren’t listening to us or our foundational training or truths shared.
But they must be able to live out their faith in God, the truth of His word, the virtue of Jesus through their lives within the confines of their own God-given personality. God created our children so very unique and diverse. But each one needs our words of validation, acceptance just as God made them, and our understanding for who they are becoming and were made to be. (By the way — our husbands might also be extremely different in temperament than we are and need the same grace!)
Being loved is practically the oxygen we were made to breathe in order to keep alive inside, to flourish. An aching, longing pulses beneath, where no one can see. As the body requires food to stay alive, so the depths of a person hungers for love in order to stay alive. Each person longs for love that embraces, validates, affirms; that whispers, “Just as you are, I love you. You delight me. I think about you, cherish the day you were born. You are my beloved one, always will be, no matter what.”
Each of us was crafted with a heart container that would need to be filled with love. Though no one can see from the outside whether ours is empty or full to overflowing, each of us has the ability to fill up another's cavern with words, touch, humble service, sacrifice, understanding, generous gifts as we extend the life of Christ who is the source of life, love. But ultimately, it is Jesus who is the source of the love through our lives that will fill the holes in our hearts. He sympathized and lived in understanding of legalists (pharisees), tax collectors, prostitutes, the poor, the rich, the skeptical, the child-like, prodigals.
Psychologists agree and we all sense that a mother's love is one of the most constant resources of God's love to children, able to sustain, strengthen, heal, and restore a child — to bring hope for the future of a child, endurance during difficult times. Her love is a vibrant, living picture of what Christ is like. When we love our children well, model to them what it is like to live a life of deep faith in our amazing God, our children will better be able to catch a glimpse of the remarkable life God has planned for them.
So many verses remind us of this foundation.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
If you have not love, you have become a noisy gong or a clanging symbol.
They will know you are my disciples by your love for one another.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
May God give you the grace today to choose to express and truly love those in your life well.
More on today’s new Tea Time Tuesday podcast: Food, books, Sarah's new book (Reclaiming Quiet), music, and more