While walking the other morning, I was reminded that I have done a lousy job lately of something I communicated to you when all of you were much smaller. I am grieved that I started something so important and then quit at some point. But here I wanted to put it down in “writing” for you to see and remember now that you are all so grown up.
This is really something so simple, but so important for you to know.
1 – I Love You. Notice that there is no”if” or condition attached to this. I don’t love you because you are like me, or even because you are not like me. I don’t love you because you agree with me or obey me. I don’t love you because you believe what I believe. I don’t love you because you are nice, or pretty, or handsome, or are musical, or are smart, or make me look good, or any other of a million conditions that I could list.
2 – I love you because you are my child.
3 – Can you ever stop being my child? (rhetorical question with the obvious answer being “no.”
4 – then there is nothing that you can do, or not do, be or not be, become or not become, that would make me stop loving you.
Now, there are times when I may not like what you do, or not like what you are, or not like what you become, but my love (and the commitment to you that comes with it) will always be there.
Now I am sure that you are thinking to yourself, “hmmm, I can certainly recall a lot of times when it sure didn’t feel like you loved me!!” I understand that and would put those times into 2 different categories.
First, there have been many, many, many times my sin and selfishness has prevented me from accomplishing the kind of unconditional (Agape) love that my Jesus calls for me to give to you. I am sure there are both some scars and some future counseling sessions because of my sin, selfishness, and failures. For these times, I can only say, “I am sorry” and continue to live in the Hope of God continuing His work in me. Forgive me if you can.
Second, I would tell you, that things are not always as they appear (refer to my June 9 post). The Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Goodness is why it may seem like I don’t act in a loving way. Now you may say, “those times I remember didn’t seem like they were good to, or for, me either, they just hurt me or made me mad.” This Goodness that is from the Holy Spirit as I yield over my selfish ways to Jesus, has a long view of goodness, as in what is best or good for you in the long run. There were many things I made you do, or would not allow you to do in order to teach you or develop in you characteristics that I believe you need as an adult to be “successful.”
Perhaps you notice a pattern developing. As a Father, Christ is my head and he is working on me and bringing happy and sad things into my life for my “good.” As children, I was/am your head and I sometimes bring happy and sad things into your life for your good, because Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit that God calls me to, and the Spirit empowers me with, that the Grace of Jesus provides for.
And lest we get distracted … I Love You (period).
Letters from a Fathers Heart 