Detached Love.

I read a quote from Beth Moore the other day that really resonated with me.  She said, “When we’re growing weary in our love for others, we’re probably detaching from the reality that God loves us.”  Wow!  It was so timely for me because, quite frankly, there are times when I am just so spent by the daily tasks of caring for my family that I wonder if I am really loving the way they need me to.  Or am I just getting by and getting through the day, checking things off my to-do list?

In this season of caring for three young children I am sad to say that I do not spend as much still, quiet, alone time with God as I once did.  My quiet time usually feels rushed and I find myself listening for and anticipating my toddler’s cry or little girl’s footsteps coming down the hall.  When I don’t spend quality time with the Lord in His Word, praying and listening to Him, I do get detached from knowing that He loves me.  It’s not that God loves me less when I neglect Him, but I lose sight of the fact that He loves me so very much.

I’m always telling my kids that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us.  But I wonder if maybe I have said this phrase so many times that it has lost its potency on me.  He DIED for me!  Hello!  What more could a woman ask for?  One of my absolute favorite songs in the world is Love Song by Third Day.  It has some of the most beautiful, poignant lyrics I have ever heard.

I’ve heard it said that a man would swim the ocean

Just to be with the one he loves

All of those dreams are an empty motion.

It can never be done.

I’ve never swam the deepest ocean,

But I walked upon the raging sea.

I think every woman wants to be loved like this.  We want someone who would be willing to climb a mountain or swim the sea to reach us.  We want someone willing to lay down his life on our behalf.  Romantic movies would have us think that we should look for these characteristics in a dashing leading man and too often we hold our own husbands up to this lofty, impossible ideal.  But we DO have Someone who loves us like this.

Just to be with you, I will do anything

There’s no price I would not pay no

Just to be with you, I would give everything

I would give my life away.

When we really get it – that God loves us unconditionally, we are freed to love our husbands, love our children, love our friends and family more completely.  We have to know He loves us in order to love as He intends us to.