God's Abounding Love

My mother's mother passed away when my mom was only three years old. She was raised for the next few years by her Aunt Rose; and was separated from her father and older brothers during that formative time in her life.

My Mommy had four children and loved us dearly. Due to this interruption and trauma in her young life, she was not present to us emotionally. She loved through her deeds, but was unable to connect person-to-person emotionally.

My father was a rage-aholic due to his wartime experiences, which was a trial for us all. He blew up over the slightest infraction in our obedience to Him, which I am sure came from his vocational stress as well. He did work hard to provide for us.

Therefore, I grew up as a distant person and mother, caring for my children physically, but never knowing how to connect emotionally. My Aunt Gen noticed this problem when we visited with her in her home during the four years we spent traveling in evangelism.

She gave me a book about nurturing our children, but I could not relate, because I had never been emotionally nurtured. This started me on a library search about how to be a nurturing parent, and I started by nurturing my own wounded "child" within me.

Then, I branched out and began nurturing the wounded Inner Child in my mother. We grew closer as she turned toward me like a plant that follows the sun coming in the window. The Sonshine of God's love poured out to her through me, and made a difference in the way we related.

The principles I learned also helped me to emotionally connect with my own three children. They were older now, in pre-adolescence; but they too responded well to nurturing, which maybe came a bit too late, and a bit too little in their lives.

Lamentably, my older two children turned away from God, since His existence made no human sense to them. My youngest child, however, came to the saving knowledge of Christ and blossomed in God's love. I thank God daily for His abounding love within me and surrounding me (Ephesians 3:18).

Prayer:
Father God, Your love is the only constant in our life. There is no trial, misery, torment, deprivation, lack, danger, or threat of death that can separate us from Your abounding love. Your love enables us to rise victoriously from the ashes of our life, and to conquer the demonic lies and oppression that attempt to hold us captive.

Whether we live on this earth, or pass on into eternity; regardless of the world's rulers and powers, demonic activity, debilitating circumstances, or anything else we may experience through spiritual or natural causes, they can never separate us from Your love (Romans 8:35-39). You are all we need now and throughout eternity.

Thought for the Day:

With God on our side, we lack no good thing that we need, because He took on human form as our Emmanuel, and by His Spirit birthed His Son to pay the penalty of our sins and to serve as our advocate; there is nothing and no one, not even our own failings, that can separate us from His love, which enables us to victoriously face tomorrow and any unthinkable situation that may try to get between us and our Heavenly Daddy.