1 John 3:1 “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” Yesterday we celebrated Father’s day here in quarantine. In the morning my 4 year old Nate came up to me and handed me a card. Apparently he sensed that today was a special day for me, so he took a plain piece of white paper, and wrote in big scrawly letters “HApee byFdAe Apa.” It took me a minute to decipher its contents, but when I did I gave him a big hug and a kiss. “Thank you Nate Nate. Apa loves you very much.” It didn’t matter that the monocolor note lacked aesthetic sophistication. It didn’t matter that the spelling fell short of perfection. It didn’t even matter that he even got the wrong holiday! None of that mattered, because I love my son for being my son, not for producing high quality output. So many times I strive so hard to give my best, and I think God honors that. But my works are like a dirty rag relative to his standard. He doesn’t love me for what I do. He loves me for who I am. The funny thing is that when I find myself coming from that place of being loved (instead of earning love), the output gets better too. Lord, thank you for loving me despite my imperfection. Thank you that before I lift a finger, I am fully known and fully affirmed by you. I pray covering and protection for all the fathers in this world, and I thank you for being the most perfect Father of all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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