I remember the day after I gave birth to my first child, Madison, my mother and I left the hospital with her strapped safely in the car seat. We made a stop at the drug store to pick up my medications as well as other miscellaneous items we needed before we headed home. My mother had driven while I had ridden in the back seat with Madison to tend to her, if needed.
 |
| Madison, 2 weeks old |
My mother got out of the car to go into the drug store. I stayed in the car with Madison. She lay there sleeping as streams of sunlight shone into the car and right on her face. I remember marveling at how she could sleep like that. I surveyed everything about her from her lips to her fingers to the color of her skin to her tiny feet. As I sat and looked at her, I remember my eyes welling up with tears. At that moment, my mother came back to the car. She saw the tears welling in my eyes and concern etched her face. She quickly and with concern said, “What’s wrong?” I am sure in her mind she must have thought something had happened while she was gone. Something had happened while she was gone. It had truly struck me the depth of my love for this child in those moments. I said to her through my tears, “I just love her so much.” My mother’s face softened, and she said with emotion, “I know. I know.”
 |
| Madison, 7 months old |
A mother’s love. It was a love that transcended anything else I had ever felt before. Over the next few days, I finally understood how much my own mother had loved me all of my life. Amazingly enough, the feeling was the same with each of my three children. There was no limit to the love or how much my heart could hold.
 |
| Nathan, 1 month old |
More important than my love though, I finally understood how much God loves us as His children and His creation. 1 John 3:1 (NIV) says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” I finally, as much as I could humanly possible conceive, understood how much God loved me. I was His child. This love I had for my child was stronger and bigger than anything I had ever imagined. My love was human and imperfect. My Father’s love was not human but perfect. It was almost too great to wrap my mind around.
 |
| Nathan, 6 months old |
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love,” says 1 John 4:8. The only reason I love is because God made me, and He is love. Without Him I would not be here and neither would I be a mother. To Him be the glory and honor for my children and for being a mother. I am so thankful to Him for giving me my husband and for the three precious gifts God has bestowed on us.
 |
| Lauren, 1 day old |
My son, Nathan, has said to me several times, “Mom, I think I love you more. I can’t even put into words how much I love you.” I have said to him, “I love you too, but I know I love you more. The day you have your first child you will realize that I love you more.” Maybe that is the wrong thing to say to your child, but I picture having the same conversation with God too. I say I love God, but He says to me that I have no clue as to what love is and that He loves me more. He gave up his only son so that He could be with me forever. He loves me unconditionally. I will stumble and fall and make mistakes, but He is love and loves me. No matter what.
 |
| Lauren, 4 months old |