For the month of February I wanted to focus on love. First, I focused on the greatest love of all – God’s love for us. Second, I turn to love in marriage but it became more about how to be love and dying to self. With that in mind I’m expecting an interesting journey as I set out to think on the love we have for our children. Oh it’s big isn’t it? The love we have for our children. It really doesn’t matter whether you are gazing upon a small child, a teen or a grown adult your parent heart just swells with love pride – it’s really indescribable.
I’m reminded of a story some years ago, on a hot summer day in Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His mother, in the house and looking out the window, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.
A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go." What a beautiful picture pops up in my mind of the determination of a Mother’s love. www.TruthorFiction.com cannot authenticate this story but in the Bible the truth is found. Romans 8:38 tells us that ‘nothing can separate us from the love of God’
A pearl to string: We all have scars, not from an alligator perhaps, but from pain that stomped through our past. Some of those scars are deep and gnarly and some have very long stems of regret. Some of the wounds that lace our past, dear hearts, are because God refused to let go. When you couldn’t hold on to God – He was holding on to you. We are all His children. God wants to do more than love us. John 3:16 tells us He sent His Son to die for our sins so that whosoever believes will not perish but spend all eternity with the Father.
We keep our children in our hearts yet God has a bigger plan for His children.
Believing in everlasting Son shine,
Lyndi
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