But God demonstrates his own love for us
in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
—Romans
5:8
“Pick a sticker,” my five-year-old granddaughter Addie
said, holding out a sheet to her father, my son Tim.
“Ok,” he said, as he began to lift one.
“Not that one!” Addie interrupted, “That’s for someone
special.”
“What?!”
“That’s for Grandma,” she whispered.
“Ooooh,” Tim acknowledged.
Addie turned toward me. “Here, Grandma. This one’s for
you,” she said, peeling off a pink flower sticker.
“Well, thank you! You know pink is my favorite color, and
I love flowers!”
“Uh-huh,” she smiled, as she nodded knowingly, her blue
eyes meeting mine.
Returning the smile, I pressed the sticker firmly over my
heart.
Tim and I laughed about the incident later.
I mused how Addie, at her young age, knew that her dad,
although at first seemingly indignant, would understand that Grandma was
someone special. And that, in no way, made him any less special, nor did it
diminish her love for him.
It reminds me of God’s love for all of us. We are all
special to Him. The Bible tells us so.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John
3:16).
If you grew up in church and Sunday school, you’ve
probably memorized John 3:16 and a slew of other Scripture verses about God’s
love. You’ve probably sung, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”
You know He loves all the little children. But have you
ever wondered, if He loves everyone, am I
really special? Do I stand out?
A few weeks after the aforementioned incident, I spent
some time with my other granddaughter, three-year-old Layla.
“Grandma, why do you love me so much?” she asked from
her car seat.
“Because you’re special.”
“What does special mean?”
“It means different, unique.”
(If she needs you to explain what special means, she
probably doesn’t know what unique means. I chided myself, You have to do better than that.)
“You’re cute,” I continued. “You say funny things and
make me laugh. You make my heart warm. You give me joy.”
“Joy,” she repeated. “I like that word.”
“Me too, Layla,” I said, as I pulled into a parking
space.
While our conversation was cut off as I cut off the car,
I wondered why she didn’t ask me what joy meant. Perhaps she already knew.
“Grandma, I love you with all my heart,” she said, as I
unbuckled her seat straps.
I brushed her bangs from her big brown eyes and looked
straight at her, “I love you, too, with all my heart.”
I love both my granddaughters (and my grandsons!) with
all my heart. But do I love them equally?
Author Lisa Bevere writes that God does not love us
equally. (Gasp!) Equally implies that His love can be measured,
but it cannot. He does not love us the same. He loves us uniquely.[1]
Just as He created each of us with unique gifts, talents,
and personalities, His relationship with us is also unique.
I think of my two granddaughters and how different they
are. Addie is blonde and blue-eyed; Layla, brunette and brown-eyed. Addie, shy;
Layla, social. Addie can fit Legos together to build a princess palace and beat
the socks off me (every time!) in a matching game, while Layla fits words
together to tell a story and enjoys hide-n-seek.
Two very special girls who I love with all my heart. But
I do not love them the same. My love relationship with each one is as unique as
they are. We demonstrate our love for each other differently—whether it be with
gifts, words, or the way we spend time with each other.
God interacts with each of us differently too. Perhaps
for the music-lover, He rejoices with singing (Zephaniah
3:17).
For the nature-lover, He paints a majestic sunset. And the word-lover, He
delights with poetry from His Word. But for all, “God demonstrates His own love
for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans
5:8).
And as much as I love my two granddaughters, my love
cannot even come close to this. God’s love is without measure. It is infinite.
It is perfect. God is love (1
John 4:8).
And I am convinced that nothing can separate us from that
love (Romans
8:38-39). It sticks stronger than a pink flower sticker and
gives joy worth singing about.
Dear
God, thank You for knitting me together in a unique pattern (Psalm 139:13). I know I am Your masterpiece. I am
Your “someone special.” I do stand out.
I am irreplaceable. Thank You for Your unique love that gives me joy, joy, joy
down in my heart. Amen.
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