Posted on by Charly

You Are Loved!

I recall being pregnant with my second child and wondering how I could ever love another child as much as I loved my first. I didn’t think I had any space left to fit another child in my heart. It was already so full. Then she was born and suddenly my heart swelled. I had just as much love for this little one as I did for my first.

This blissful feeling is so overwhelming when a new baby is placed in your arms. It’s not difficult to imagine loving this little human and protecting it from harm. You can easily imagine putting your life at risk to keep this precious new life safe. This love and safety that is automatic towards this new little human is the closest feeling I can come up with to describe Gods’ love for each of us. Of course He doesn’t question if He has enough love for more humans, He tells us to go forth and multiply. He knows He has more than enough love for all of us. It is us, humans, who don’t always have enough room for Him.

When I think of someone who loves me I immediately picture my own mom and dad. It truly didn’t matter what I did they always loved me. I pray everyone has at least one person that comes to mind when they think about who loves them. There is something that is strengthened inside of us when we know we are loved unconditionally. This kind of love gives us courage and a feeling of security.

Sadly there are many people who don’t feel loved. They don’t feel that there is someone that will love them no matter what. We live in a dysfunctional world where love is twisted, confused, and manipulated. Even if no human person comes to mind, or if you question weather those who are supposed to love you truly do there is always God. He never takes His love away. No matter what you have done or are going through He always loves you!

He loves you in exactly the way you need. A way that we can’t even understand completely because it is so unchanging. He doesn’t love you only when you do good. He loves you always and because of this He desires your happiness. He gives us rules to bring us happiness. He knows what is best because He knows each of us so completely. He doesn’t want you to be alone, to be scared, or to feel unloved. He wants to walk with you on this journey and at the end of this existence He wants you to be with Him for eternity.

He loves each one of us so much that He has a plan for good for each one of us. Even if we choose to stray from His plan we can always choose to come back to it. He is so good that He will continuously help us find our way back to Him. He is the ultimate guide to happiness because of His true love for each of us.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” John 3:16 NAB

Photo: pixabay.com

Posted on by Charly

Eve asked Adam, “Do you love me?”

“Who else?” He replied

The priest we have when we go to the cabin always has a funny story or joke. This weekend was no different. Our large family took up an entire pew at this little church and we tried hard not to be a spectacle, but completely failed. It seems it is inevitable that we get stares and do some entertaining during mass. Not in a disrespectful way but just naturally by having so many children. It seems it should be the one place where we shouldn’t get stares for having a large family. Unfortunately there are not a lot of young families at mass. I wonder if God is asking these missing families, “Do you love me?” I wonder if he is asking the families that are there, “Do you love me enough to share me with others?”  What if we told people about the love Jesus has for them?  If they really understood I don’t think they could stay away, even if they have a gaggle of children to tend to during mass.

I love the rosary almost as much as I love the mass. It gives me a peace that can only be from Jesus. However, I have always struggled with the mystery of the ascension. Why would Jesus leave? I’m sure the apostles struggled with this too.  They must have felt abandoned, lonely, confused, and maybe even unloved. We heard this past Sunday from the gospel of John chapter 14 verse 28; “If you loved me you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the father is greater than I.” We are reminded in this to love Jesus. To rejoice in the fact that He is ascending to heaven. The very place He died to open for us. He has gone to be there with His father who is The Almighty. There is no question about His love for us. He even asks his father to send us an advocate, the Holy Spirit, so that we can be reminded of Jesus’ love for us and not use the fleeting feelings we as humans experience as an excuse to forget what He has taught us.

His love for us cannot be denied, it is our love for Him that falters. So as we prepare to celebrate Pentecost, the great gift of the Holy Spirit,  in just a couple of weeks I will be praying;

“Come Holy Spirit fill me with your love so I can trust in You.  So I can spread your love to others and encourage them boldly to love you back.  So we are all strengthened by your love and have no choice but to live in it and share it.”

 

Posted on by Charly

My Cup Overflows

(Photo from google images)

Parenting is um, I can’t actually think of one single word that describes it.  It is a spectrum of the purest joy to the most painful agony. You can quickly be humiliated and just as quickly swell with pride. You have little control and yet everything you do makes a difference in the well-being of your children’s lives. It holds very little status, especially when you have gone way past the perfect number of two children yet the benefits of multiple children far out weigh societies negative outlook on a large family.  Daily  there are positive character building events that take place in parenting.

I love my children second only to God and their father.  Love is a funny thing though. I have this habit of loving them to the point of overflowing when they are being kind and treating each other respectfully or when I don’t actually have to directly deal with their messes, tantrums, complaining, whining ….

For example they were all out of the house and I quietly delivered clean folded laundry into each of their rooms. I paused a moment in each room and wrote a quick note specifically for that child.  My heart actually spilled over with love for each of them as I did this.  A smile crossed my lips and I remembered sweet moments I had shared with each of them.

Then the entry door busted open.  They came piling in.  Spreading like a spilling pool of water onto the kitchen floor.   Along with them came the mud on their boots, coats and bags flying like a dust cloud. One had tears, one angrily snuck off down stairs, two were proclaiming their death because of starvation, and the oldest one was moaning about something not going his way. Oh, and the littlest one was still in the car because she had been forgotten. As I rushed out to retrieve her I thought, “Where did my swelling heart go?” My anxiety was rising and my heart was growing very irritated and I was now focusing on the mess and discontent that had entered my home along with my children.

Bedtime rolled around and they were all fed and somewhat quiet, and happy. I had the house straightened up again and I was feeling like my heart was swelling with love for my blessings. I paused and smiled. Was it that I made it through another day? Or was it that all seemed to be back in its place? Maybe partially but the truth is it just feels good to have some control in the chaos. This is where the problem lies.  Love is not to be trusted when it’s just a feeling. If I only loved my children when my heart felt full I would quickly lose sight of the treasures that they are and only see the footprints and dirt they leave behind.

The key to mastering these chaotic parenting moments is that God is in control and He gave me these children to love and lead towards Him. When I feel the irritation and the loss of control I need to ask for God to give me His view of these needy, messy, beautiful, children and He will remind me that they along with everything they bring are blessings that fill my cup.

My love for God has a comparable tendency. When I have quiet time to pray I feel so in love with my faith. Yet when life is crazy or even catastrophic I have to remind myself to let God help me.  Sometimes I almost forget He is there and begin to “fix” the situation my own way. But He is there even when my heart is pounding and my checks are flushing and my irritation or my stress is hitting record heights. He is there and ready to show me the blessings that surround me and fill my heart.  He is there reminding me that He has given me many precious gifts that I should be thankful for and love even when it is hard to do.

Parenting is a beautiful, fragile, challenging, loving gift from God.  So each day I will ask Him for His help to remind me that even if my cup is overflowing onto my clean kitchen floor it is because it is full of His blessings.

“…My cup overflows.“

-Psalm 23:5 New American Bible