Pursuing our Children
I've had people tell me that they would discipline differently. When my littlest throws fits or excludes herself from family time I've had friends and family say, "just let her stay in her room if she's going to act like that. She should stay there until she's acting good enough to join us." To this I STRONGLY disagree. There was a time I thought the same thing. When you are pushed away over and over again it's easy to feel like not initiating anything. Yet God is so different than that. He pursues us. He chases after us. He shows us his love over and over again. He's taught me to pursue her heart, even when it's hard.
On the way to church I was thinking about God's love for us. How he desires us and fights for us. He came to earth and died for us to show us his great love. That's a crazy, amazing, selfless, love. As we were driving to church my littlest was singing "Hosanna, you are the God who saves us, worthy of all our praises." She stopped singing and started talking about how God has saved people from sickness or disease. I said, "You are right and he's saved you too. He rescued you and that's pretty amazing." She returned to her singing. Wouldn't you know that once we were in church the worship team started singing the same song. I looked down and saw her with one hand raised singing her heart out with her eyes closed. Watching her brought tears to my eyes. "Thank you Lord. Thank you for saving her, for saving us, you are worthy God of all our praises! Thank you for pursuing us and working on our hearts and help me to continue to pursue her heart and lead her in your ways." As the song ended she looked up at me and wiped the tears out of her own eyes and sighed a sigh of joy, a sigh of peace.
I stood praising God thinking of how he pursues us and doesn't leave us in our yuck. He didn't leave me in my sin and confusion as a teen, he brought me to himself. He didn't leave her in the darkness of her situation he brought her out of it and continues to do so. Over and over again in the Bible it talks about him pursuing his creation. Over and over again the people would turn from him and try to do things in their own power. They would worship other gods and forget the One True God's commands and provision. Even then he'd pursue them. He sent prophets, and signs and miracles and then he himself came to take our sin and die on the cross and raise again that we could have eternal life. As I was think of his amazing pursuit of us it seems so easy to pursue my child. When she pushes us away I know she really doesn't want to be isolated. She's just scared. She's scared that the people she loves will hurt her or leave her, like they've done in the past. When she pushes us away we are to pursue her with love and show her that we are different, we can be trusted. As we've pursued her, the walls have broken down and she's opened up more. She's been able to grow in trust and security and by doing so she's grown in her intellectual abilities as well. Looking at her praising God with tears in her eyes I know she feels it. She feels his pursuit of her heart, his provision and rescue.
The very next song was Reckless Love. The song says, "there's no shadow you won't light up, mountain you won't climb up coming after me. There's no wall you won't kick down, lie you won't tear down coming after me. The never ending, all consuming, reckless love of God. It chases me down, fights till I'm found, leaves the 99, I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still you give yourself away." That's what God does for us. He pursues us even when we don't deserve it. He leaves the 99 sheep on the hill to find the one that wonders away. He gave his very life for us. As a mother I'm called to do many of the same things. He's called me to tear down the lies, and kick down walls and climb mountains for my children. I think of my adoptive daughter and I know HE calls me to love her and pursue her, even when she doesn't act right, even when she pushes me away. Just as God doesn't leave us till we are good enough or clean up our own act, I am not called to send her away till she figures out hers. I'm called to love her and pursue her and point to Jesus in the process.
Luke 15:2-8 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.’ Then Jesus told them this parable: 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
To listen to Reckless Love click here.
On the way to church I was thinking about God's love for us. How he desires us and fights for us. He came to earth and died for us to show us his great love. That's a crazy, amazing, selfless, love. As we were driving to church my littlest was singing "Hosanna, you are the God who saves us, worthy of all our praises." She stopped singing and started talking about how God has saved people from sickness or disease. I said, "You are right and he's saved you too. He rescued you and that's pretty amazing." She returned to her singing. Wouldn't you know that once we were in church the worship team started singing the same song. I looked down and saw her with one hand raised singing her heart out with her eyes closed. Watching her brought tears to my eyes. "Thank you Lord. Thank you for saving her, for saving us, you are worthy God of all our praises! Thank you for pursuing us and working on our hearts and help me to continue to pursue her heart and lead her in your ways." As the song ended she looked up at me and wiped the tears out of her own eyes and sighed a sigh of joy, a sigh of peace.
I stood praising God thinking of how he pursues us and doesn't leave us in our yuck. He didn't leave me in my sin and confusion as a teen, he brought me to himself. He didn't leave her in the darkness of her situation he brought her out of it and continues to do so. Over and over again in the Bible it talks about him pursuing his creation. Over and over again the people would turn from him and try to do things in their own power. They would worship other gods and forget the One True God's commands and provision. Even then he'd pursue them. He sent prophets, and signs and miracles and then he himself came to take our sin and die on the cross and raise again that we could have eternal life. As I was think of his amazing pursuit of us it seems so easy to pursue my child. When she pushes us away I know she really doesn't want to be isolated. She's just scared. She's scared that the people she loves will hurt her or leave her, like they've done in the past. When she pushes us away we are to pursue her with love and show her that we are different, we can be trusted. As we've pursued her, the walls have broken down and she's opened up more. She's been able to grow in trust and security and by doing so she's grown in her intellectual abilities as well. Looking at her praising God with tears in her eyes I know she feels it. She feels his pursuit of her heart, his provision and rescue.
The very next song was Reckless Love. The song says, "there's no shadow you won't light up, mountain you won't climb up coming after me. There's no wall you won't kick down, lie you won't tear down coming after me. The never ending, all consuming, reckless love of God. It chases me down, fights till I'm found, leaves the 99, I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still you give yourself away." That's what God does for us. He pursues us even when we don't deserve it. He leaves the 99 sheep on the hill to find the one that wonders away. He gave his very life for us. As a mother I'm called to do many of the same things. He's called me to tear down the lies, and kick down walls and climb mountains for my children. I think of my adoptive daughter and I know HE calls me to love her and pursue her, even when she doesn't act right, even when she pushes me away. Just as God doesn't leave us till we are good enough or clean up our own act, I am not called to send her away till she figures out hers. I'm called to love her and pursue her and point to Jesus in the process.
Luke 15:2-8 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.’ Then Jesus told them this parable: 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
To listen to Reckless Love click here.
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