A Great Big Love

 

By Andrea Merrell

God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.
    Expect love, love, and more love! Jeremiah 31:3 MSG

 

There I was in the middle of the night, down on my knees in my daughter’s room. She had just thrown up, and I can tell you, it wasn’t pretty.

 

I heard sniffling and looked up. She was balanced on her knees, staring at me from her bed. Simply doing what mothers do—or so I thought—her tearful comment took me by complete surprise. “I’m so sorry. You must really love me.”

 

“Of course I do,” I said, trying to comprehend the tears.

 

“Well, that’s a great big love. I love you too, Mom.”

 

Fast forward about thirty years. Back surgery and a reaction to the anesthesia turned me into a hot mess. I could barely function and needed serious help. My baby girl came to the hospital and stayed with me until I was able to go home. I found myself staring at her and thinking, I’m so sorry. You must really love me. And that’s a great big love. She saw me at my worst, at one of the lowest points in my life. And she loved me through it all.

 

It made me even more thankful for the love God has for me. Agape love. Sacrificial and unconditional. Nothing that can be earned by being the best version of myself. God sees me at my worst when no one else sees. He is aware of every low point in my life. Every failure. Every sin. Yet He loves me with an everlasting love that goes beyond human comprehension, and sometimes He shows me by using other people.

 

Never doubt God’s love for you. It’s a great big love that never stops.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash