The Reminder of Love in Quarantine

I arrived home this afternoon after preparing all the details for this coming Sunday morning, to my kids who wanted to make me lunch.  It took me a second to "be a good sport" in the face of a desired gift of kindness, but the real gift came with lunch.  As a clergy dad, I try to keep many of the details of my kiddos' life somewhat private.  It isn't their fault that their dad is a somewhat public person and every child should have some control over what people know about their process of growing up.  But, I can't help but share that when I got the drawing of my daughter and me and opened it to find out that I'm perceived to be sweeter than a cupcake, I was pulled right back into remembering the most important part of what I am doing right now.  I am doing everything that I can within reason to care for all of you.  What is different about my family is that I get to do so for them in person and almost all the time right now which means their reality of staying at home in the time of quarantine is deeply influenced by how we are living together.  The beauty of being reminded by my daughter that this is not a one way street of Sarah and I taking care of our kids warmed my heart beyond description. 

In this time, it is good to be reminded that we are in relationship with a God who loves us all the way.  I have heard it described as a one way love, but I contemplate that the love of God turns something on inside of us that inspires us to love God back.  "We love because he first loved us" as we hear in I John 4:19.  I pray that you will be reminded in some way this week that we are not doing this alone. We have a God who desires to let us know, as I was reminded by my daughter with lunch and sweetness, that we are loved.  I pray that being reminded of your beloved-ness will turn something on inside of you and God's love will rest in you.