Paul wrote, "I am convinced that neither death nor life . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 8:38-39
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
-Romans 8:12-17 (NRSV)
Once as a small child I went grocery shopping with my mother. Not wanting to sit still in the cart, I complained until my mother let me out to walk beside her. Being curious about all the things around me, I let go of my mother's hand and looked at all the pretty things. When I looked back, being just a small child, all I could see was a sea of legs. I could not find my mom and was afraid. A kind person saw my plight and took me to the front of the store where the manager announced me as a lost little girl over the loud speaker. Soon my mother was there to get me.
My mother had not left me. I had turned my attention away from her and wandered off. When I cried, help was there and I was soon rejoined with my mother.
As a parent myself I was often fearful of losing my own child in a crowd. I was always attentive to her whereabouts and would never have left her to wander. Times are such these days that a parent fears not that a child will simply get lost, but that someone will take the child and do deadly harm. Because of this concern, I would simply not go places where it would be easy for my child to wander off.
As my child grew and went to day school, I soon realized that she would go many places without me. I could no longer be with her at all times to protect her. While she was in elementary school, I could be confident that teachers would always be watching. After school she was in a study hall and would be supervised until I picked her up to take her home.
When she grew into a teenager, she was soon able to go places where there was not an adult I trusted to watch out for her. This brought me many worrisome times. I had to realize that she was an individual who would make her own decisions and that I could not always protect her from herself or from others. I had to trust that my prayers would be heard by the Lord and that heavenly eyes would be watching out for her.
My daughter announced to me one day that she had found her mother. You see she is adopted and had sought out her birth mother without my knowledge. She decided she would move in with her. This was a difficult time for me as I wondered where we stood with each other. Her birth mother was very happy to be reunited with her and showered her with gifts and promises of gifts out of her joy to be able to be with her daughter at long last.
It felt as if I had simply been babysitting my daughter for 17 years until this day that she sought out her birth mother to be reunited. My daughter was treating me as if I were not her mother. I had to turn my fear of loss over to the Lord. I love my daughter with undieing love. No matter what she may do, I will always love her; even if she should walk away and never return.
After living with her birth mother for three months, I received a call from my daughter. She wanted to come home. She realized that I was her true mother, even though I was not the one that gave her birth, I had given her my heart and my home.
This experience helped me understand the love the Lord Jesus has for each of us and how His heart aches when we turn our backs on Him. He does not forsake us. His love is always there and He waits for us to return.
My prayer: Lord Jesus, I pray that I will never take your love for granted but will always realize that you love me more than anyone else could possibly love me. You have given everything so that I can be your child, adopted into your family. No matter where I go or what I do, I will always be in your family. Thank you Lord for loving me. Amen!
