A few years back, I was watching a typical ooey-gooey Hallmark film. These are not necessarily my go-to movies anymore, but back then, they were a nice way for me to decompress. It was late evening; Jon (my husband) was already in bed. There was your typical happy scene in the movie of a mother and daughter having a nice time together, where your average person, as they watch, would be smiling with feelings of rainbows and sprinkles inside them. I can’t quite remember what they were doing. Perhaps they were grabbing coffee together or were in the kitchen talking, but I started to cry. My eyes grew heavy, and I began, for just a little while, to long for things I never had. There’s no such thing as the perfect, white-picket-fence family that Hallmark might portray, but boy did I desire it.
Then a few years later, I was listening to Steffany Gretzinger (a worship singer) talk about her father, who is now in heaven, and the amazing man of God he was. As she shared some various ways he parented, tears began to well up and fall down my face. My insides grew a little weighty, and sadness filled my heart. At first I softly said to myself, “I missed out.”
Fast-forward a little bit more. Now, especially after long days of ministry, when I am drained from pouring out, oh, how I can still long to be taken care of, like a little child being embraced by their mom or dad. To have someone cook me a meal and simply take care of me—ah, would that be ever so nice. When those days come, I begin to have a silent cry in my heart, and I can still grieve what I lacked as a child, teenager, and even as a young adult.
When these situations happen, yes, my heart starts to pitter-patter with sorrow. However, then love rushes in, my chest grows wide, and I start to breathe hope, in and out. I know I have a Father in heaven who will parent me with His love and fill in the gaps. The absence of my parents at times, has only richened my relationship with the Father. I thought I missed out, but I only truly gained.
You see, if you are ever so willing, something special happens when you come to Jesus in pain or loneliness. The various holes and crevices of your childhood as well as adulthood can be filled with the heavenly Father’s love. Regardless of whether you have present parents or not, if they are stable or wobbly, kind or rude, when you run to the Father (and Jesus), He fills the gaps, He fills the pits, and He even fills the areas where the good parent falls short.
The Lord absolutely, one hundred percent loves you. I mean radical, bottomless, overflowing, and abundant love.
Regardless of what you have done or are doing. That’s right, He loves you. Now, He may not like some of the actions we have done or are doing, but His love for us is present, more present than we could ever imagine.
We probably all have heard the famous verse, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” It then goes on to say, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16–17).
Pay attention to the onset of the last verse I just shared: “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn.” Let that sink deep down in your inner being. Listen, my friends, we do not have a God who does tummy twisties and points the finger in our face. He is not a God with hands on His hips. Jesus, the Lord and Savior, He squats low and meets us where we are at, all with the heart posture of love.
His love is unlike anything you have ever tasted, and Scripture even says that His love passes knowledge (Ephesians 3:19). I could present a few more verses that directly declare about this love, but I want to share His unconditional love with you, through the Bible, in more of an abstract way.
God (Jesus) must represent the Scriptures. If He has called us to “do” or “speak” something that is in the Word of God, how much more will He? God is the author of the Scriptures; therefore, He has to represent the following truths.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). If we are called to carry the fruit of the Spirit, how much more does God (Jesus)? God is Love. God is Joy. God is Peace. God is Patience (longsuffering). God is Kindness. God is Goodness. God is Faithfulness. God is Gentleness. God is Self-Control.
“A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17a). How much more will Jesus love at all times?
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1a). God is the most spiritual being. How much more will He restore you with gentleness?
You are loved by our heavenly Father (and Jesus) more than you could even imagine. When I need a reminder of the Lord’s love for me, I will read over various verses that talk on His love over a cup of joe. The Word of God is truly alive and active, and as you absorb its truths, it will radically change you. Let the Lord parent you with His love; He really is a good Father.
Here are some verses on God’s love if you want to check them out. You could even pour a cup of coffee or tea for yourself and invite Jesus along as you read them, kind of like a coffee or tea date with the Lord! Blessings, Ashley
Zephaniah 3:17; Romans 8:35–39; Ephesians 3:14–19; John 17:23; Psalm 89:2
